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426 WASHINGTON STREET MALL, cape may • « (609) 884-3459

“BEST AMERICAN”
and
“TOP 25 RESTAURANTS
IN THE STATE”
New Jersey Monthly, 2008

Serving Dinner
Call

from

for

5:30

pm

Days

oceanfront porch dining available

Beach Avenue & Howard Street
at the

H o t e l M a c o mb e r

609 884 8811
www.unionparkdiningroom.com

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october

2012

editor’s letter

VISIONS OF YESTERYEAR Don’t miss Ben Miller’s fascinating take on long-lost landmarks in “The Way We Were” on page 76

A

H, IT’S the fall, a sleepy time of year in charming, quaint, ever-so-quiet Cape May. Right? Well, that may be the
case in many other shore towns that sit north of here on the Jersey coast. But not in this town, oh no... Flick through
the pages of this magazine (as I’m assuming you will since you at least bothered to read this ramble), and you
will see why Cape May has a fuller fall calendar than any other shore town — okay, with the exception of Atlantic
City, where, at any time, you can go throw your money away on the craps tables and the slots machines and listen
to washed-up artists you probably thought were dead, or at the very least in an nursing home (Peaches and Cream? J. Geils Band?).
Yep, give me Cape May every time. On page 16, you will read a big preview of the inaugural Exit O International Jazz Festival, which
is being launched by Michael Kline, an experienced jazz promoter who spent a lot of time in New Orleans before heading back to his
home town. We should add that, despite the name, we have nothing to do with the festival, other than being a sponsor but we are
excited to see jazz back in town, and with a new Convention Hall as the main stage venue. Michael has attracted a heady array of talent
for the festival, which runs November 9-11.
A few weeks before that (October 19-21, to be precise) it will be the turn of the Cape May Film Festival to treat the town to a quality
infusion of culture, and the festival’s Executive Director Tom Sims offers a sneak preview on page 54.
Turn the page and you will see The Big Fall Activity Guide, which tells you everything that’s going on in the month of October, from
a midnight tour of the Emlen Physick Estate with the Ghost Writer Craig McManus (also see his latest ghost story on page 116) to the
city’s first Dragon Boat Festival, which sounds like a lot of fun.
There truly IS a great deal of fun activities and events to enjoy in America’s Original Seaside Resort, and some would say that fall is
the best season of all in Cool Cape May. Before I go, I want to thank (as always) the brilliant Victor Grasso for another stunning cover
(that’s him dressed up in a tribute to the Lenape Indians who enjoyed this beautiful place long before any of us settlers did). Enjoy the
issue. Enjoy the fall. Enjoy Cool Cape May.
Jack Wright Editor/Publisher
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the big fall
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2012

OLD STYLE
Getting into character during
Victorian Weekend, which runs
from October 5-9.
Photograph by Aleksey Moryakov

activity guide
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2012

“

Everything about this restaurant was superb!

Not only do you have a fabulous view of the beautiful
Cape May beach, but the food and service was top notch.

We will definitely be back!
–Open Table

”

26 Food 27 Decor 26 Service

1301 Beach Avenue • 609.884.9090 • petershieldsinn.com

PSI_Exit0_June'12_Color__Superb.indd 1

3/23/12 7:29 AM

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2012

October 5-9
Cape May’s 40th annual
Victorian Weekend
This annual jamboree celebrates Cape
May’s Victorian heritage, featuring the
Chocolate Championship Tour & Tasting,
Historic House Tours, Murder Mystery
Dinners, Vintage Dance Weekend, living
history programs, lectures, workshops,
performances and more. Sponsored by
the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and
Humanities (MAC). Call 609-884-5404
or visit capemaymac.org.
October 6
Lima Bean Festival
What started as a celebration of Cape
May’s storied agricultural past has
turned into a quirky good time for all
ages. One hundred vendors and thousands of guests will paint the town green
at Wilbraham Park in West Cape May,
where there’s live entertainment and —
hopefully — Lima Bean ice cream!
October 6
Private Homes Tour
Step inside Cape May’s private residences, which are not normally open to
the public. Homes featured on the tour
range from the Victorian era to the 21st

inns and B&Bs are vying for Cape May’s
Chocolate Champion title and you’re the
judge. Visit each competitor’s property,
sample their signature chocolate dessert
and vote for your favorites. From 1pm to
3pm, adults $25, children $15 (ages 3-12).
Sponsored by Mid-Atlantic Center for
the Arts and Humanities (MAC). Call
609-884-5404 or visit capemaymac.org.
October 6
Beer & Chocolate Tasting
Who said that chocolate and beer don’t
go together? Not America’s beer authority, Gary Monterosso, who will host a
sampling of beers and chocolates that
go perfectly together at the Inn of Cape
May, 7 Ocean Street, at 2pm, tickets $30.
Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center
for the Arts adn Humanities (MAC). Call
609-884-5404 or visit capemaymac.org.
IT’S ALL ABOUT
THE BEAN
Mike Owen and
Donna Holmes at
the West Cape
May Lima Bean
Festival. This
year’s event is
on October 6, at
Wilbraham Park.
Aleksey Moryakov

October 6-7
Vintage Dance Weekend
Kick up your heels as they did in Cape
May during its Victorian heyday. Vintage
Dance Instructors will teach you the traditional dances of the 19th century at
a Vintage Dance Workshop, from 9am
to 3pm at the Franklin Street School.
Then, put your newfound expertise to

good use at a costumed Vintage Ball
with live music of the period by Spare
Parts at 8pm on Saturday night. A Tea
Dance, also with live music by Spare
Parts, is on Sunday, October 7 at 1pm at
Cape Island Baptist Church. Victorian
dress encouraged but not required. An
all-inclusive package is $95, the workshops are $45, the Vintage Ball is $35,
and the Tea Dance is $25. Sponsored by
Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts adn
Humanities (MAC). Call 609-884-5404.
October 6-8
Murder Mystery Dinner
Join the Impromptu Players who will
set the scene for a new original mystery at Aleathea’s Restaurant at the Inn
of Cape May, 7 Ocean Street. Enjoy a
three-course dinner as you contemplate
the clues, interact with the cast and help
solve the mystery as it unfolds. Cost is
$45 per person. Starts at 7pm. Sponsored
by Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and
Humanities (MAC). Call 609-884-5404
or visit capemaymac.org.
October 7
Victorian Weekend
Crafts & Antiques Show
Crafters and antiques dealers from

get ready
to paddle
The first-ever
dragon boat
festival will be
held at Cape
May harbor on
October 13. The
race is open to
everyone, and
the boats are
supplied!

throughout the region display and sell
their wares on the lawn of the Emlen
Physick Estate, 1048 Washington Street
from 10am to 4 pm, free admission. Call
609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit
capemaymac.org.
October 7
Lunch & Antiquing
Discover and explore crafts and antiques
shops around Cape May on an excursion that includes lunch at Aleathea’s
Restaurant at the Inn of Cape May, 7
Ocean Street. Enjoy the Victorian
Weekend Crafts and Antiques Show on
the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate,
1048 Washington Street, where you’ll
board a trolley that shuttles you to lunch
and then to West End Garage, Tree House
Antiques and Cape May Antiques Center
with time to browse. From 11:30am to
4:30pm, $35 per person. Call 609-8845404 or visit capemaymac.org.
October 7
Fudge Fantasy with The
Original Fudge Kitchen
The Original Fudge Kitchen has been
hand-whipping delicious creamy fudge
in 21 wonderful flavors for more than
a quarter of a century. Now you can

Down-home cooking...
with a terrific view!

delve into your richest fantasy at the Inn
of Cape May, 7 Ocean Street, at 2pm.
Sample the famous fudge flavors, learn
how they make the fudge and much
more. Admission is $15. Sponsored by
the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and
Humanities (MAC). Call 609-884-5404
or visit capemaymac.org.
October 12-31
Halloween Happenings
in Victorian Cape May
More than two weeks of speciallythemed tours and events including
Ghost Writer Trolley Rides, Madame
Parmentier’s Psychic Teas, Scarecrow
Alley, Midnight at the Physick Estate,
Historic Haunts Combination Tours,
Phantoms of the Physick Estate and
much more to help you get into the spirit
of the season. Friday, October 12 through
Wednesday, October 31. Sponsored by
the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and
Humanities (MAC). Call 609-884-5404
or visit capemaymac.org.
October 12-31
Scarecrow Alley
The grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate,
1048 Washington Street will be ghoulishly transformed for the Halloween sea-

on Broadway
Chef Geoff Johnson
has appearded on
Rocco’s Dinner Party
on...

and also on
My Big Redneck
Vacation
on
Country Music
Television (CMT)

ADULT CONTEMPORARY CUISINE
Dinner from 5PM

Open 10-10 everyday

Like Us on Facebook... Copper Fish Restaurant

Beach Avenue & Grant Street, Cape May • 884-3772
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416 S. Broadway, West Cape May, 609-898-1555
october

2012

son and a display of scarecrows made
by members of the community is part of
the transformation. Take a stroll along
Scarecrow Alley on the grounds. Free
admission. Friday, October 12 through
Wednesday, October 31. Daily. Call 609884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit capemaymac.org.

are $10 for adults and $5 for children
(ages 3-12). The self-guided tour of terror is offered from 7pm to 10pm, tickets
are $15 for adults and $12 for children
(ages 3-12). Sponsored by Mid-Atlantic
Center for the Arts and Humanities
(MAC). Call 609-884-5404 or visit capemaymac.org.

October 13
1st Annual Dragon Boat
Festival
Dragon boating is 2,000 years old, and
it’s finally made its way to Cape May’s
harbor. Anyone can do it — dragon
enthusiasts of all ages. There are 20
people to one boat, and the races last
approximately three minutes. Call 609884-5508.

October 13
Madame Parmentier’s
Psychic Tea
Enjoy a Halloween-themed tea at the
Carriage House Café, 1048 Washington
Street, and learn what the future holds for
you (all in good fun, of course). During
the tea, you may encounter wandering
fortune-tellers or the odd phrenologist. Starts at 2:30pm, admission $25.
Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center
for the Arts and Humanities (MAC). Call
609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visitcapemaymac.org.

October 13
Phantoms of The
Physick Estate Tour
Visit Cape May’s original haunted
house. Come to Dr Physick’s estate,
1048 Washington Street, for this special
self-guided tour featuring a variety of
Victorian Halloween happenings including spooky sounds, special effects and
scary stuff. A kid-friendly, self-guided
tour is offered from 1pm to 4pm, tickets

October 13
Phantoms of
Cape May Tour
Enjoy a self-guided Halloween-themed
tour through a selection of Cape May’s
homes and inns. Includes admission
to the Phantoms of the Physick Estate

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Tour. Includes trolley shuttle. From
7pm to 9pm. Admission is $20
for adults; $15 for children (ages
3-12). Sponsored by Mid-Atlantic
Center for the Arts and Humanities
(MAC). Call 609-884-5404 or visit
capemaymac.org.
October 13
Harvest Festival Crafts
& Antiques Show
Crafters and antiques dealers from
throughout the region display and
sell their wares on the lawn of the
Emlen Physick Estate, from 10am
to 4pm. Free admission. Sponsored
by Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts
and Humanities. Call 609-8845404 or visit capemaymac.org.

October 13-14
Murder Mystery Dinner
Join the Impromptu Players who
will set the scene for a new original
mystery at Aleathea’s Restaurant
at the Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean
Street. Enjoy a three-course dinner
as you contemplate the clues, interact with the cast and help solve the
mystery — $45 per person. Starts
at 7pm. Sponsored by Mid-Atlantic
Center for the Arts and Humanities
(MAC). Call 609-884-5404 or visit
capemaymac.org.
October 14
Fishing Flea Market
Go fishing for those little bits and
accessories you’ve been searching
for. From 9am-3pm at the Cape
May Elementary School. Call 609489-9986.
October 14
Murder Mystery Luncheon
Join the Impromptu Players who
will set the scene for a new original
mystery at Aleathea’s Restaurant
at the Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean
Street. Enjoy a three-course luncheon as you contemplate the
clues, interact with the cast and
help solve the mystery. $30 per person. Starts at 1pm. Sponsored by
Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts
and Humanities. Call 609-8845404 or visit capemaymac.org.

October 19-21
Cape May Film Festival
Be among the first to see groundbreaking work from some of New
Jersey’s most promising filmmakers. Screen shorts and feaexit zero

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2012

tures, then meet face-to-face with
the directors, actors, producers,
screenwriters, and composers
who’ve worked on them. In lieu
of popcorn, grab a glass of bubbly
at the opening night champagne
reception. Check out capemayfilm.org.
October 20
Phantoms of The
Physick Estate Tour
Visit Cape May’s original haunted
house, the Physick Estate, 1048
Washington Street, for this selfguided tour featuring a variety of
Victorian Halloween happenings
including spooky sounds, special effects and scary stuff. A kidfriendly, self-guided tour is offered
from 1pm to 4pm, tickets are $10
for adults and $5 for children
(ages 3-12). The self-guided tour
offered from 7pm to 10pm is $15 for
adults, $12 for children (ages 3-12).
Saturday, October 20. Sponsored
by Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts
and Humanities. Call 609-8845404 or visit capemaymac.org.
October 20
Madame Parmentier’s
Psychic Tea
Enjoy a Halloween-themed tea
at the Carriage House Café, 1048
Washington Street, and learn what
the future holds for you (all in good
fun, of course). During the tea, you
may encounter wandering fortunetellers or the odd phrenologist.
Starts at 2:30pm, admission $25.
For more information, call 609884-5404 or visit capemaymac.org.
October 20-21
Murder Mystery Dinner
Join the Impromptu Players who
will set the scene for a new original
mystery at Aleathea’s Restaurant
at the Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean
Street. Enjoy a three-course dinner as you contemplate the clues,
interact with the cast and help solve
the mystery as it unfolds. $45 per
person. Starts at 7pm. Sponsored
by Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts
and Humanities. Call 609-8845404 or visit capemaymac.org.
October 20-21
Lighthouse Challenge
of New Jersey Weekend
New Jersey lighthouses, museums
and life-saving stations will host

a special weekend. The public is invited
(and challenged) to visit all participating lighthouses over the weekend and
help raise funds for continued lighthouse
preservation. Begin the challenge at any
of the participating lighthouses, and purchase a tri-fold souvenir pamphlet ($1)
to be stamped at each lighthouse.
October 21
Halloween Parade
Have you always wanted to be an astronaut? A doctor? Here is your chance.
Dress in costume or just spectate; Perry
Street at Congress Hall is a premier
spot. The parade kicks off at Rotary
Park. Registration begins at 1:30pm;
judging at 2pm; parade at 3pm. Party to
follow at 4pm at the Physick Estate. The
kiddies are invited to trick-or-treat on
the Mall between 12 and 2pm.
October 21
Murder Mystery Luncheon
Join the Impromptu Players who will
set the scene for a new original mystery at Aleathea’s Restaurant at the Inn
of Cape May, 7 Ocean Street. Enjoy a
three-course luncheon as you contemplate the clues, interact with the cast
and help solve the mystery as it unfolds.

strange
things on
the streets
Cape May’s
annual Halloween
Parade will be
held on October
21 — arrive early
to snag the best
people-watching
spots.

$30 per person, at 1pm. Sponsored by
Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and
Humanities (MAC). Call 609-884-5404
or visit capemaymac.org.

Street. $25 per person. Sponsored by
Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and
Humanities (MAC). Call 609-884-5404
or visit capemaymac.org.

October 26-28
New Jersey Audubon Weekend
Seasoned birders and novices alike
should flock to Cape May (no pun
intended) for a weekend of field trips,
lectures, hawk watches, sea watches,
evening dinners, kayak excursions and
more, all led by New Jersey’s finest naturalists. Registration is required; visit
BirdCapeMay.org for details.

October 27
Phantoms of The
Physick Estate Tour
Visit Cape May’s original haunted
house the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048
Washington Street, for this special
self-guided tour featuring a variety of
Victorian Halloween happenings including spooky sounds, special effects and
scary stuff. A kid-friendly, self-guided
tour is offered from 1pm to 4pm, with
tickets $10 for adults and $5 for children (ages 3-12). The self-guided tour
of terror is offered 7pm to 10pm, tickets
are $15 for adults and $12 for children.
Sponsored by Mid-Atlantic Center for
the Arts and Humanities. Call 609-8845404 or visit capemaymac.org.

October 26-27
A Ride with the Ghost Writer
This 45-minute evening trolley ride takes
you through the streets of Cape May’s
Historic District with psychic medium
and ghost writer Craig McManus providing the narration. McManus will talk
about ghosts and spirits, the history of
the houses where he has sensed activity
and legends of ghost activity in Cape
May. Starts at 7:30pm and 8:30pm,
leaving from the Washington Street
Mall Information Booth, and Saturday,
October 27 at 8:30pm, leaving from
the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington

October 27
Madame Parmentier’s
Psychic Tea
Enjoy a Halloween-themed tea at the
Carriage House Café, 1048 Washington
Street, and learn what the future holds
for you (all in good fun, of course).

Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center
for the Arts and Humanities (MAC).
Call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or
visit capemaymac.org.

During the tea, you may encounter wandering fortune-tellers or the odd phrenologist. Starts at 2:30pm, admission
$25. Sponsored by Mid-Atlantic Center
for the Arts and Humanities. Call 609884-5404 or visit capemaymac.org.

October 27
Midnight at the
Physick Estate Tour
Twenty-five lucky people will get to
spend midnight in the haunted Physick
Estate with author and Ghost Writer
Craig McManus, who will share his
experiences and perhaps channel a
spirit or two. Starts at 11pm, tickets are
$35. Call 609-884-5404 or visit capemaymac.org.

October 27
Phantoms of Cape May Tour
Enjoy a self-guided Halloween-themed
tour through a selection of Cape May’s
homes and inns. Includes admission
to the Phantoms of the Physick Estate
Tour. Includes trolley shuttle, from 7pm
to 9pm. Admission is $20 for adults;
$15 for children (ages 3-12). Sponsored
by Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and
Humanities. Call 609-884-5404 or visit
capemaymac.org.

October 27-28
Murder Mystery Dinner
Join the Impromptu Players who will
set the scene for a new original mystery at Aleathea’s Restaurant at the Inn
of Cape May, 7 Ocean Street. Enjoy a
three-course dinner as you contemplate
the clues, interact with the cast and help
solve the mystery as it unfolds — $45
per person. The event starts at 7pm.
Call 609-884-5404 or visit capemaymac.org.

October 27
A Lighthouse Ride
with the Ghost Writer
This evening trolley ride takes along
the path to the Cape May Lighthouse
with psychic medium and Ghost Writer
Craig McManus, who will talk about
ghosts and spirits and ghost activity at
the Lighthouse. Leaves from the Physick
Estate at 1048 Washington Street. Starts
at 6pm, admission $30 per person.

The trouble with eating Italian food

...is that five or six days later you’re hungry again. — George Miller

man with a plan Michael Kline is launching the new Exit O International Jazz Festival on November 9-11. Previous page: Captain Black Big Band.

E WINCES when he
talks about it. The
record
collection,
4,000 strong, that
51-year-old Michael
Kline amassed in high
school. “I moved to
New Orleans from Cape May in 1992, and for
some reason, I thought it would be a good idea
to put the collection on a train and ship it down.
They were stolen.” It was traumatic, Michael says,
because these records were jazz. These records
were Michael’s first love. The music he first heard
as a five-year-old boy, awestruck by the Duke
Ellington Orchestra on Atlantic City’s Steel Pier
with his father. And then as a 24-year-old working in the kitchen of the old Shire pub on Cape
May’s mall, the sounds of Pat Martino’s guitar in
the dining room bouncing off the stainless steel
surfaces of the kitchen. And then as a grown
man, working with a community radio station in
New Orleans, where he produced live broadcasts
during the city’s famous jazz fest, a destination
for 700,000 people.
Now, Michael has made his way back to Cape
May, in order to produce the Exit 0 International
Jazz Festival (no affiliation with this periodical)

this November, and to share this love for jazz with
the entire Cape May community.
“Cape May is the ideal location,” Michael told
us. “It’s a place so many people have fallen in love
with and so many people fall in love when they
get here. It’s incredible.” And that’s saying something coming from Michael, who’s been all over
the world promoting musicians through his other
endeavor, Michael Kline Artists. “Cape May can
become an iconic jazz location,” he said.
When we spoke with Michael in August,
he was in the thick of the planning, making
preparations for the 22 (and counting) artists
— from Chile, Brazil, New York, Puerto Rico,
New Orleans, Venezuela, and New Orleans —
who will grace the stages of nine separate venues, including Convention Hall, the weekend of
November 9-11.
Among them is headliner Ramsey Lewis,
a three-time Grammy winner with seven gold
records to his credit. In years past, he played at
the now defunct Cape May Jazz Festival, and he
told us he’s looking forward to getting back to
the island, where the fans are “down-to-earth
and sophisticated.” Ramsey also let us in on a
little secret. “During a performance,” he said,
“jazz musicians have a roadmap, so that we know
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2012

where everyone is supposed to go twenty-five
percent of the time. The other seventy-five percent, we make it up on the spot. At its essence,
jazz is spontaneous combustion.”
It’s this “on-the-spot creating” Michael says
that makes us connect with the music. “Not
everyone knows the technical stuff,” he said, “that
the band is changing time from four to six, for
example… but you’ll be able to appreciate the
high level of creativity going on in front of you.
That resonates with a lot of people.” For this reason, the Exit 0 festival isn’t just for the seasoned
jazz snob (although they’ll enjoy, too). It’s for any
lover of music. “Our two aims,” Michael said, “are
to present world-class artists, and to make it fun.
We’re going to include blues, New Orleans R and
B, a little of everything.” And to make the festival
as accessible as possible, he’ll be offering, in
addition to main stage show tickets, a club pass
option — $65 for all three nights, which works
out to roughly 30 hours of music, at $2 an hour.
Most importantly, “you’re going to be right on
top of the musicians,” Michael said, “right in their
laps.” And this, unlike a prized record collection,
is an experience you’re bound to carry forever.
For more information, or to buy tickets, visit exit0jazzfest.com.

HEADLINE ACT Three-time
Grammy winner Ramsey Lewis will
be bringing his Electric Band to the
new Convention Hall on Saturday,
November 10

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2012

THE EXIT 0 INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, CAPE MAY NOVEMBER 9-11

Ramsey Lewis and Electric Band
Saturday, November 10 at Convention Hall

RAMSEY Lewis, three-time Grammy winner
and recipient of the National Endowment for
the Arts Jazz Masters Award, and his Electric
Band will bring their Sun Goddess tour to the
main stage of the Exit 0 International Jazz
Festival on Saturday, November 10.
Composer and pianist Lewis first became
interested in music as a four-year-old when
he heard his parents offer his sister piano lessons. “To me, it sounded like they were offering
an ice cream cone,” he told us, “so I decided I
needed that, too.” Although he did admit that
he’s a natural, he says he can’t think of himself
as a legend. “My mother said never to become
a legend in your own mind,” he said. “In any
profession, the most important thing is to love
what you do.”
Nevertheless, the man’s got talent. By 1965,
he was one of the nation’s most successful
jazz pianists, topping the charts with “The In
Crowd,” “Hang On Sloopy” and “Wade In The
Water.” He has seven gold records to his credit,
including his 1974 crossover hit, Sun Goddess.
Like the remarkable live performances
Lewis continues to give in the US and abroad,
his latest album, Ramsey, Taking Another Look
continues to generate rave reviews.

baggage handler John Salzman is a bellhop at the Ocean Club
Hotel — Tony Buckley was unavailable to be photographed

Captain Black Big Band led by Orrin Evans
Saturday, November 10 at Convention Hall
ORRIN Evans has been recognized as one
of the most inventive pianists of his generation. In a short span of time he has earned
the titles of pianist, composer, bandleader,
teacher, producer and arranger. The New York
Times described him as “a poised artist with an
impressive template of ideas at his command.”
The latest release by Evans, titled Freedom,
is an interpretive exploration of the music of his
Philadelphia friends and mentors. It features a

hometown crew of sidemen, including the solid
playing of bassist Dwayne Burno, the precise
metrics of drummer Byron Landham, and the
tenor saxophone stylings of special guest Larry
McKenna. Also guesting on the record is upand-coming Philly drummer Anwar Marshall.
After attending Girard Academic Music
Program and the Mason Gross School of The
Arts at Rutgers University, Orrin was invited
to join Bobby Watson’s band Horizon on their
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2012

European tour. His own recording career
started in 1994 with a self-produced trio release
called The Trio, then six critically acclaimed
recordings for the Criss Cross label. Evans has
also released recordings for Palmetto Records
and his own label, Imani Records.
His greatest joy, besides spending time with
his family, is producing projects for other artists
and playing with his own band.

“I was trying
to pull a
minivan
through a
really tight
area coming
out of Beach
Avenue. I
was trying
not to squish
some flower
beds, so I
got too close
to another
truck and
put a big
scratch
along the
passenger
side door.
They still
tipped me
$3.”

THE EXIT 0 INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL

Christian McBride and
Inside Straight

IT’S TIME TO TRADE IN
THOSE FLIP FLOPS FOR YOUR
WARM AND COMFY BOOTS.

Friday, November 9 at Convention Hall

WHEN he arrived in New York as a seventeen-year-old kid, Christian
McBride turned heads as a young phenom who was equally adept at
acoustic and electric bass. Nearly 20 years later, he is considered to be
one of the marquee jazz artists of his generation.
In addition to commanding the stage with the likes of Diana Krall,
Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove, Brad Mehldau and Brian Blade, McBride
has toured and recorded with McCoy Tyner, Pat Metheny and Sting. He’s
also been mentored by such jazz giants as Ray Brown and Betty Carter,
and enjoyed a critically-acclaimed recording career. His 2006 album Live
at Tonic is a vibrant three-CD collection with an all-star support team.
McBride, committed to furthering jazz education, has also served as
the creative chair of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the co-director of
the Jazz Museum of Harlem. In 2008, he performed duties as artist-inresidence at both the Detroit International Jazz Festival and the Monterey
Jazz Festival. At a concert where they both performed, bass legend Ron
Carter told McBride, “It’s good to see you respecting the music so much.”
In 2009, McBride released the critically acclaimed Kind of Brown on
Mack Avenue Records and 2011 marked the release of two other pivotal
projects for McBride on Mack Avenue: The Good Feeling (the 2012 Grammy
Award winning big band project) and Conversations with Christian, on
which the 39-year-old maestro places himself in the forefront of the flow
on a duet piece with “13 of my closest musical friends and cohorts”—
including Angélique Kidjo, Sting, Dee Dee Bridgewater, George Duke,
Eddie Palmieri, Chick Corea, Dr Billy Taylor, Hank Jones, Regina Carter,
Roy Hargrove, Russell Malone, Ron Blake and actress Gina Gershon.

But don’t worry, summer never really ends
at Cabanas Beach Bar and Grill. Open year
round, we’re your destination for what’s hot
when the weather gets cool.

Call for details... (609) 884-1169
711 Townbank Road, North Cape May
www.capemaywinery.com
Check us our on Twitter and Pinterest
Like Us on Facebook
We Have the Oldest Roots in the County!

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2012

THE EXIT 0 INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL

AVA L O N

Ulysses Owens

Saturday, November 10 at Carney’s Other Room

C O F F E E

#7GURNEY

&

THE BEACH

OPEN
EVERY DAY

8088
BAKERY

MICRO

ROASTED
COFFEES

&

SPECIALTY

FROZEN
COFFEE

DRINKS

HAND

GOODS

ROLLED
BAGELS

CATERING

BREAKFAST

TRAYS

ULYSSES Owens’ interest in percussion began at the age of two, when
he experimented with the drums in his church’s band. At eight, the
opportunity to receive professional instruction finally came, and he
honed a unique sensitivity and musical awareness. In May 2006, Owens
completed a Bachelors of Music in Jazz Studies at The Juilliard School in
New York City.
In 2009, Owens was commissioned by the Washington DC Arts
Counsel to compose the opening piece for the 24th Annual Mayoral Arts,
which featured African percussion, Jazz Ensemble and dancers at The
Kennedy Center. He was selected by Modern Drummer Magazine as a finalist for “Up and Coming Drummer of 2011,” and he was featured in Ebony/
Jet Magazine as a Jazz Musician to Watch.
Owens has performed with some of the world’s finest, including Patti
Austin and Dianne Reeves. Currently, he’s touring with Grammy winning artists Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton, Kurt Elling, Ted Nash
and Wynton Marsalis. He also holds the position as Artistic Director
for Don’t Miss A Beat, Inc, whose mission it is to expose local inner city
youth to the arts. In this role, he travels annually and conducts workshops, a summer camp and productions to educate students worldwide
about using the arts as an alternative to violence.
In 2009 Owens released his debut project, It’s Time For U, with his new
quintet, The U.O Project.

&

SPECIALTY

SANDWICHES

TRY OUR NORTH CAPE MAY LOCATION

3704 BAYSHORE ROAD

DJ Soul Sister

Green
Street
Market

November 9 and 10 at the Boiler Room
SOUL Sister was one of the first
US radio DJs to highlight the rare
groove format and is one of the
few female DJs to spin and mix
100% funk (on 100% vinyl) and
related original styles in her live
performances. She’s either performed or been invited to spin at
every major music venue or club in
New Orleans.
Soul Sister has also performed
at high-profile events like Essence
Music Festival, New Orleans Jazz
and Heritage Festival, Voodoo
Music Experience, and the Revlon Run/Walk for Breast Cancer
in New York. She has been invited
to open for everyone from George
Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic to the VH1 Hip Hop Honors
Tour featuring the Roots.
When Hurricane Katrina blew
through her hometown, Soul Sister evacuated with one bag of
clothes and two bags of records,

and wound up spinning gigs in
both New York City and Los Angeles. Now, Soul Sister hosts several
weekly parties all dedicated to her
deepest crates of funky music —
including her HUSTLE party at
Mimi’s in the Marigny, voted multiple times as New Orleans’ best
dance party. Gambit Weekly voted
her best DJ in New Orleans.

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october

2012

THE EXIT 0 INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, CAPE MAY NOVEMBER 9-11

Claudia Acuña

Saturday, November 10 at Convention Hall and Aleathea’s
CHILEAN singer/songwriter/arranger Claudia
Acuña possesses one of the most beautiful and
compelling voices in jazz and creative music.
While singing primarily in Spanish, her music
crosses language barriers to communicate with
power and deep feeling.
Acuña was born in Santiago, Chile in 1971.
“The family did not own a television, so my
imagination became my own TV,” she says. “I
began to fantasize about being in front of an
audience...”
At 24, without knowing how to speak English, Acuña moved to New York. It was at
the original Small’s in Greenwich Village, a
hotbed of young talent, that Acuña met and
began working with other artists. Record companies began to show interest in Acuña after
a tape of one of her live performances began
to circulate without her knowledge. She was
signed to Verve Records in 1999, and has since
been appointed as spokesperson for the childfocused relief agency World Vision Chile.

At the same location since 1979, Cape May
Bakers has fine pastries, gourmet desserts
and cakes for all occasions. Great daily
specials!

cape may
Olive Oil Company
324 Carpenter’s Lane
Cape May
800-584-1887

This new spot features 20 different
varieties of olive oils and balsamic
vinegars, pastas, spreads, jams, mustards,
infused salts and sugars, and much more.

SYMBOLS KEY

u Onsite parking

Meals
served

Price range
of entrées

Bar or
BYOB?

Should I
book?

Food for
kids?

Other
details

B, L, D

$15-$45
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

FULL
BAR

YES

YES

ub
HU

B, L

$3-$8
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

N/A

NO

YES

b
H

D

$24-$30
Cards:
V, MC, D

FULL
BAR

YES

YES

ub
H

B, D

$13-$29
Cards:
V, MC,
AE

YES

ub
H

B, L, D

$5-$25
Cards:
V, MC, D

BYOB

NO

YES

u
H

D

$15-$28
Cards:
V, MC

BYOB

YES

NO

ub
H

B, L, D

$12-$36
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

FULL
BAR

YES

YES

ub
H

B, L, D

$8-$25
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BAR

YES

YES

b
H

B, L

$2-$12

N/A

NO

YES

b
H

Please
call for
info

N/A

N/A

NO

Olive
Oils and
More

Handicap accessible
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october

H

BYOB

Takeout available

2012

YES

b
H

U Dog-friendly patio

THE EXIT 0 INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL

Great food, great drinks
and great music...

Henry Cole and the
Afrobeat Collective
Friday, November 9 at Cabanas

DRUMMER Henry Cole is at the forefront of a growing wave of jazz
innovation and cross-cultural rhythm. His power behind the drum kit
has proven indispensable to some of the world’s most acclaimed jazz
groups, including Grammy winner David Sánchez of Cultural Survival.
Cole is also a leader of the Afro-Beat Collective, which released its debut
album Roots Before Branches in 2011.
Born in 1979 and raised in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, Cole relocated
to San Juan in 1999 to study classical percussion at the Conservatorio
de Musica de Puerto Rico. He began his jazz immersion at Boston’s
Berklee College of Music in 1998, but soon returned to San Juan, where
he became one of the most in-demand and influential jazz drummers on
the island. There he gained pivotal, formative experience in the varied
music scene of Old San Juan: “It was very small,” Henry says, “but it had
all styles and genres, so it was easy to go from one to the other and learn
from all. I was playing rock, salsa, jazz, electronic music, all in the same
week. That’s college right there.”
Relocating to New York, his current home base, in the fall of 2003,
Cole received a scholarship to attend Manhattan School of Music and
study with the great John Riley. Since, he has toured throughout the US
and Europe, Mexico and Central America, Korea and Japan. The San Jose
Mercury News praises Cole’s “explosively detailed” playing, and All About
Jazz praises his ability to “make instantaneous, organic adjustments at
every turn.”
Cole is also a successful and sought-after educator, often substituting
for his mentor John Riley at MSM and at SUNY Purchase College
Conservatory of Music. His main goal is to see music reaching out to
audiences of all kinds with a message of determination and unity.

Superb seafood however you like it – fried,
broiled, grilled, blackened or sautéed.
That’s choice for you. Also great salads. Eat
in (there’s an outdoor patio) or take away.

SYMBOLS KEY

u Onsite parking

Meals
served

Price range
of entrées

Bar or
BYOB?

Should I
book?

Food for
kids?

Other
details

Health
Food
Store

Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

N/A

N/A

YES

u
b

Winery

$5-$27
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

Winery

N/A

NO

ub
H

L, D

$12-$19
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BYOB

YES

YES

ub
H

L

$12-$19
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BYOB

YES

YES

u
b

D

$24-$32
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BYOB

YES

YES

ub
H

D

$12-$29
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BYOB

YES

YES

b
H

L, D

$4-$18
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BAR

NO

YES

u
H

B, L, D

$6-$14
Cash
Only

BYOB

NO

YES

ub
H

D

$26-$33
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BAR

YES

NO

L, D

$5-$19
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BYOB

YES

YES

Handicap accessible
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october

H

Takeout available

2012

ub
H

U Dog-friendly patio

THE EXIT 0 INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, CAPE MAY NOVEMBER 9-11

Joe Krown Organ Trio
Saturday, November 10 at Carney’s

JOE Krown is a New Orleans styled piano and
Hammond B-3 player. Both he and his trio have
been the recipients of the New Orleans Big
Easy Award in the Blues category.
Joe Krown formed the Joe Krown Organ
Combo in 1999. The band made its European
debut in November 2001 in Germany, and
has made regular appearances at the French
Quarter Festival in New Orleans, the New
Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and the
Ottawa Blues Fest since. They’ve played such
noted nightclubs as the Boom Boom Room in
San Fransisco and Tobacco Road in Manhattan,
and they’ve performed every week at one of
many New Orleans nightclubs.
The Joe Krown Organ Combo, which has
released 4 CDs, was the front-page feature
article for the Times Picayune 2003 Jazz Festival,
and their album Buckle Up was ranked fourth out
of 2,000 by OffBeat magazine. Krown and his
music have also been featured in HBO’s Treme,
about life in New Orleans following Katrina.

The original fine dining restaurant in Cape
May and still one of the best. The food is
always creative and the breakfasts and
brunches are very hard to beat – hence the
lines.

SYMBOLS KEY

u Onsite parking

Meals
served

Price range
of entrées

Bar or
BYOB?

Should I
book?

Food for
kids?

Other
details

L, D

$8-$24
Cards:
V, MC

BYOB

YES

YES

b
H

D

$12-$28
Cards:
V, MC

BYOB

YES

YES

u
H

Health
Food
Store

Varies
Cards:
V, MC, D

N/A

N/A

YES

u
b

B, L, D

$6-$30
Cards:
V, MC

BAR

NO

YES

Winery

$5-$34
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

B, L, D

$15-$38
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BAR

B, L, D

$5-$15
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

L, D

$13-$26
Cash
Only

NO

u
H

YES

YES

ub
H

BYOB

N/A

YES

bH
U

BYOB

YES

YES

L, D

$6-$22
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BAR

For
tables of
eight or
more

YES

B, L, D

$19-$30
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BAR

YES

YES

Handicap accessible
exit zero

31

ub
H

october

H

Winery

Takeout available

2012

NO

ub
H
ub
H
b
H

U Dog-friendly patio

THE EXIT 0 INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, CAPE MAY NOVEMBER 9-11

Pedrito Martinez
Saturday, November 10 at Cabanas

THE Pedrito Martinez Group has its roots
planted firmly in the Afro-Cuban Rumba tradition and in the bata rhythms and vocal chants
of the music of Yoruba and Santeria. For those
who don’t know what that means, The New York
Times sums it up best: “complex, blenderized
Africa-to-the-New-World funk.”
The group has developed into an extraordinarily tight and creative unit. With a home
base gig in Midtown Manhattan, the group has
built a fan base that includes Steve Gadd, and
Eric Clapton. Members include percussionist,
Jhair Sala, from Peru; electric bassist, Alvaro
Benavides, from Venezuela; and keyboard player/vocalist, Araicne Trujillo, from Cuba.
Pedro Pablo Pedrito Martinez was born in
Havana, Cuba in 1973. He began his musical
career at the age of 11, performing as vocalist
and percussionist with such Cuban legends as
Tata Guines. in 1998, he was brought to Canada
to tour with Jane Bunnett.
The musician’s decision to remain in North

America to pursue his career proved an auspicious one when, two years later, the annual
Thelonious Monk Institute Competition showcased Afro-Latin Hand Drumming for the first
time. Martinez entered and won first place.
Since settling in New York City in 2,000,

Pedrito has lent his talents to over one hundred
records, six of which have been Grammy nominated, and one which received a Grammy.
Martinez also became a member of the
Afro-Cuban band Yerba, which has opened for
the likes of Ray Charles.

The Ultimate Cape May Food & Drink Chart
What you
need to know
about the
food and
the vibe

maRIE NICOLE’S
9510 Pacific Avenue
Wildwood Crest
(609) 522-5425

This classy-but-casual restaurant serves
modern American cuisine with a European
ambiance in a relaxed atmosphere, just a
short drive from Cape May, in Wildwood

martini beach
429 Beach Avenue
Cape May
(609) 884-1925

A lively nightspot with a friendly vibe, great
Mediterranean dishes, and a panoramic
oceanfront view. It’s also the place that
brough tapas to Cape May – go ahead and

merion inn
106 Decatur Street
Cape May
(609) 884-8363

The dim, amber lighting, dark wooden
bar, period fittings and classy staff give
this place a special ambience. Great food,
great cocktails, and a great vibe.

ocean view
Beach & Grant Avenues
Cape May
(609) 884-3772

A large and very reliable menu at this
oceanfront staple. Classic diner food, and
very reasonably priced. A locals’ favorite,
and you know that is always a good sign.

oyster bay
615 Lafayette Street
Cape May
(609) 884-2111

Lovely, airy dining rooms, a beautiful
copper-top bar and classic, generous
dishes are what you’ll find here. This is
the kind of place where people keep

peter shields
1301 Beach Avenue
Cape May
(609) 884-9090

The Georgian Revival mansion on Cape
May’s beachfront is magnificent, and the
creative modern American menu matches
it all the way. This is one classy eating

THE PILOT HOUSE
142 Decatur Street
Cape May
(609) 884-3449

A classic pub and restaurant offering
great burgers, excellent comfort good and
an authentic ambience. The burgers are
big favorites among locals.

primo hoagies
605 Lafayette Street
Cape May
(609) 884-1177

No need to drive all the way to Philly for
an authentic hoagie experience with Primo
conveniently located right on Lafayette.
It’s not just a hoagie, it’s a Primo.

the red store
500 CapeAvenue,
Cape May Point
(609) 884-5757

Awesome food in a secluded, serene
setting. And now you can enjoy dinner,
too, cooked by the brilliant Lucas
Manteca, formerly of The Ebbitt Room.

rio station
3505 Route 9 South
Rio Grande
(609) 889-2000

While all around it has changed, the Rio
Station is still serving excellent food with
old-style, friendly service. Their chicken
wings are particularly good.

Seasalt restaurant
1035 Beach Avenue
Cape May
(609) 884-7000

Whether you want to salsa on Latin night
or chill poolside at the Tiki Bar, have a
fabulous meal or book a spectacular event,
it’s SeaSalt Restaurant at the Ocean Club.

SYMBOLS KEY

u Onsite parking

Meals
served

Price range
of entrées

Bar or
BYOB?

Should I
book?

Food for
kids?

Other
details

D

$19-$44
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BAR

YES

NO

u
b

D

$15-$30
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BAR

YES

YES

D

$18/Mrkt
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BAR

YES

YES

B, L, D

$9-$30
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BYOB

NO

YES

ub
H

D

$12-$29
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BAR

YES

YES

ub
H

D

$22-$39
Cards:
V, MC, D

BYOB

NO

NO

L, D

$5-$25
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BAR

YES

YES

L, D

$6-$20
Cards:
V, MC,
AE

N/A

NO

YES

B, L

$5-$15
Cash
Only

BYOB

NO

YES

L, D

$13-$29
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BAR

YES

YES

B, L, D

$8-$20
Cards:
V, MC,
AE, D

BAR

YES

YES

Handicap accessible
exit zero

33

october

H

Takeout available

2012

ub
H

H

H

ub
H

ub
HU
ub
H

ub
H

U Dog-friendly patio

THE EXIT 0 INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, CAPE MAY NOVEMBER 9-11

Ben Williams and Sound Effect
Friday, November 9 at Carney’s Other Room

BENJAMIN James Williams is a
native of Washington, DC, who
performs on electric bass and
piano. His musical influence is
rooted in various genres, including jazz, hip-hop, R&B, gospel,
and classical.
Williams is a recent graduate of the Michigan State
University School of Music where
he majored in Music Education
with an emphasis in Jazz, studying with Rodney Whitaker and
Jack Budrow. He plans to pursue
a Master’s degree in Jazz Studies
at the Juilliard School.
The musician’s accolades are
many. He was a two-time winner of the Fish Middleton Jazz
Scholarship Competition at the
East Coast Jazz Festival, a twotime winner of the DC Public
School Piano Competition, a 2002
recipient of the Duke Ellington

Nicholas Payton
Friday, November 9 at SeaSalt
NICHOLAS Payton was hailed as a
virtuoso before he was even out of
high school.
In 1994, the musician made
his recording debut as a leader
with From This Moment, when he
was immediately recognized as a
“young lion.” Since then, he’s only
improved. “The approach and the
ideas of my music have become
more singular, more cohesive,” he
says, “I have no agenda in terms of
a specific genre or style, only to be
true to who I am.”
Nicholas Payton was born in
New Orleans in 1973 to a musical
family. Encouraged by his mother,
a pianist and vocalist, and his father, the legendary bassist, composer and educator Walter Payton,
he received his first trumpet at
age four. By nine, he was sittingin with local bands including the
Young Tuxedo Brass Band. Dur-

ing his high school years, Payton
attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts to study with
Clyde Kerr Jr, and after graduation,
he attended the University of New
Orleans.
Now, he is an accomplished
pianist, bassist, drummer, tuba,
trombone, clarinet and saxaphone
player, and he is credited on well
over 120 recordings as a composer,
arranger, special guest or sideman.
As a leader, Nicholas has recorded 8 albums under his own
name including Doc Cheatham and
Nicholas Payton — a 1997 Grammy
award-winning collaboration with
the legendary trumpeter.
Payton says in reference to
both his music and his life that he
has finally arrived “most solidly in
a place where I’m coming to terms
with who I am... I’m not out to impress.”
exit zero

34

july

2012

Society Annual Scholarship
Award and, more recently,
he won first place in the 2005
International Society of Bassists
(ISB) competition in the category
of jazz.
Ben has performed both
nationally and internationally with such artists as Wynton
Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Roy
Hargrove, Mulgrew Miller, Cyrus
Chestnut, Ron Blake, Stefon
Harris, Karreim Riggins, Hamiett
Bluiette, James Williams, Bobby
Watson, Winard Harper, Buster
Williams, John Hicks, Anthony
Wonsey, Me’Shelle N’degeocello,
Gene Lake, Wycliffe Gordon, and
Delfeayo Marsalis, to name a few.
Williams has also performed
with opening acts for artists such
as John Legend, Kirk Franklin,
and Eric Roberson.

The Ultimate Cape May Food & Drink Chart
What you
need to know
about the
food and
the vibe
Seaside Cheese Company
600 Park Boulevard
(609) 884-8700
www.seasidecheesecapemay.

A huge plus for the area when it opened,
and this place, a short walk from
downtown Cape May, continues to delight
with gourmet treats. Private tasting room is

Sunset Liquors
106 Sunset Boulevard
West Cape May
(609) 435-5052

A new liquor store in town - definitely
a welcome addition. Beer, wine, spirits,
snacks, ice and free parking, and open daily.
What’s not to love about that?

SACHAL Vasandani was born in
Chicago and grew up in a household where all kinds of music were
appreciated. His parents listened
to a variety of jazz, from Duke
Ellington to Keith Jarrett, which
piqued his curiosity. In pursuing
his love for music at the University
of Michigan, he was pegged as a
talent of the future, most notably by DownBeat magazine, which
named him Collegiate Jazz Vocalist
of the year in 1999.
After moving to New York,
Vasandani quickly became a part
of the jazz scene, and made a
musical home in storied clubs like
the Zinc Bar. He was also tapped
for a number of guest performances and recordings, notably by the
Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
with Wynton Marsalis, Wycliffe
Gordon, and TS Monk.
After Vasandani’s breakthrough debut recording, he
toured extensively, supporting
Eyes Wide Open. He opened for

disparate artists, from jazz trumpeter Chris Botti to pop singer
Joan Osborne, garnering respect
from a diverse spectrum of audiences. “I played in the US as well
as overseas,” he says. “I played at
jazz festivals as well eclectic venues, and it was humbling to see
people with different backgrounds
and tastes respond to what I do.”
Vasandani was signed to Mack
Avenue Records in 2006.
In addition, Vasandani was
mentored by the veterans of the
jazz vocal realm. He shared the
stage with Jon Hendricks at a masters and mentors concert in Idaho
(“Jon’s honest spirit, intellect
and improvising ability are such
an influence”), and toured Japan
with Sheila Jordan. “Sheila serves
as a mother figure to a lot of us
singers,” he says. “Like Jon, Sheila
sings powerfully and with so much
love. To keep your voice, spirit,
energy alive... for decades — what
an instruction in longevity.”

Chef Lucas Manteca
is now cooking Dinner at
The Red Store!
Also serving Breakfast,
Brunch, Lunch
and Our
On The Go Menu
From 7:30am till 2:30pm
General Store
and Small Bites
7:30am To 8:30pm
Gourmet Coffee
Housemade Baked Breads & Sweets
Housemade Gelato

aybe you’re expecting. Maybe you
just never developed a taste for it.
Maybe you’re the regular designated
driver. Maybe you’re watching your
waistline, or you simply don’t want
to wake up feeling like a pile of poo
in the morning. Or maybe, like this
reporter, you’ve simply had enough alcohol for this lifetime
(and several others). How to navigate a ‘Victorian town with
a drinking problem,’ as the T-shirt says? What to order to wet
your whistle while those around you are sipping fine wines (or
slugging down shots, depending upon where you are)?
There was a time when a non-drinker in a bar would be
stuck with a soda, but the options these days have expanded
— from bottled sparkling waters to fresh-squeezed juices to
mocktail menus, and it’s tough to find a bar anywhere that
doesn’t offer non-alcoholic, or N/A beer. These are a great
option for most non-drinkers, with one caveat: there is a trace
amount of alcohol (0.4%) in most N/A brews, and for some
recovering alcoholics, that’s not a risk worth taking (although
a similar trace amount can be found in a glass of orange juice).
For others, it gives the taste and the look of a beer, without the
risk. It’s a judgment call. As a beer substitute, though, it’s smart
for several reasons, besides the obvious behavioral affects, like
calorie count. The calorie count in a 12-ounce Budweiser is

A REFRESHING
LINEUP
Previous page:
Helen Linney,
bartender at The
Ebbitt Room,
at the Virginia
Hotel and, above,
four of the
bar’s signature
mocktails —
Ginger Sparkler,
Apple of Eden,
Cucumber Collins
and Pomegranate
Soda
Opposite page:
Kaitlyn Douglass
showcases the
three nonalcoholic beers
available at the
C-View Inn; and
a homemade
Bloody Mary mix
at the Pilot House

exit zero

40

october

145; an O’Doul’s is less than half of that at 70. (And here’s a fun
fact — the Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale contains a whopping 330
calories per 12 ounce bottle.)O’Doul’s, if you don’t know, is the
standard in N/A beers. It tastes like your average light beer,
but other beer companies are getting on the N/A bandwagon.
Here, then, is the teetotaller’s ultimate guide.

Brown Room at Congress Hall
It figures that at a standard-breaking place like The Brown
Room, you’re not going to have a standard O’Doul’s option —
they serve O’Doul’s Amber, a step up from the regular bottle,
with a beautiful color and a nice, fuller flavor. Bartender John
McCurdy showed us the mocktail menu — we’re partial to the
Blue Pig Cream (milk, Hershey’s chocolate syrup, club soda —
yum). 251 Beach Avenue, Cape May, 609-884-8421, congresshall.com

Cabanas
Kaliber, made by Guinness, is the N/A beer you’ll get if you
ask Noreen Cicero for one at Cabanas. It’s full and bold with
an almost coffee taste, and it comes in at a mere 71 calories.
“We can also do any cocktail as virgin,” Noreen told us. “People
especially ask for virgin pina coladas and daiquiris, and we do
an infused lemonade in the summer, with mint and strawberries. And then you have the old standby, the Shirley Temple.”
Which, if you don’t recall from your childhood, is a 7-Up with
cherry juice and a cherry — if you’re good. 429 Beach Avenue,

2012

Cape May. 609-884-8400, cabanasonthebeach.com

C-View Inn
The C-View reminds us of what used to be called a taproom. It’s a bar’s bar. It’s not fancy, it’s not pretentious, they
serve a great corned beef sandwich and wings. You could have
a coke with those wings, but why not order an ice-cold brew
while skipping the calories and the brain drain? The C-View
offers three N/A beer options: O’Doul’s, Coor’s Cutter
(coming in at 82 calories) and Kaliber. Barkeep Holly Boone
told us that they also make their own Bloody Mary mix… good
to know if you want that taste but not the buzz. Texas and Washington Avenues, Cape May, 609-884-4712

The Ebbitt Room
Ah, The Ebbitt Room — uber-elegant and yet relaxing at
the same time. Leave it to them to come up with a sophisticated mocktail menu, which the lovely Helen Linney shared
with us when we visited. These mocktails are always made
with the freshest seasonal ingredients, from Beach Plum
Farm, whenever possible, so by the time you read this, we’re
sure some delectable fall options will be in place. Our favorite
had to be the Apple Of Eden, made with muddled apples, basil,
fresh lime and ginger ale. Excellent and refreshing with a nice
little bite. And for the beer drinkers, the Ebbitt offers Kaliber.
25 Jackson Street, Cape May, 609-884-5700, virginiahotel.com
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41

october

2012

Harry’s Ocean Bar and Grille
This is a family place, and head bartender J.R. Basolis tells
us that he feels like he makes nearly as many virgin drinks as
cocktails to accommodate all the kids. “The virgin daiquiris are
big — the mango one especially, and we have ice cream drinks
that the kids can get. It looks fancier than a Shirley Temple.”
For the N/A beer drinker, Harry’s used to carry O’Doul’s,
until this reporter suggested to manager Jonathan Hirsch last
summer that they kick it up a notch. They now carry St Pauli
Girl N/A (96 calories), a very tasty brew, and you can still get
O’Doul’s in the Montreal’s liquor store. 1025 Beach Avenue, Cape
May, 609-884-7011, montreal-inn.com

READY TO
SERVE
Bartender TJ
Belasco at the
Washington
Inn, where two
non-alcoholic
wines are on offer
— Mendocino
Pinot Noir and
Gewukztramer

Hemingway’s at The Grand
Greg Elliot was manning the bar when we visited Hemingway’s, and when we asked him about an N/A brew, the way he
said O’Doul’s just sounded more appealing with that Irish
brogue of his. “We sell a fair amount of O’Doul’s,” he told us,
“And any cocktail can be made as N/A — virgin daiquiris, or
Virgin Mary. Some people just drink tonic with lime, or club
soda. Most people who come here are here to drink, but these
days, sometimes you have one person drinking, and one not.
Which is good.” 1045 Beach Avenue, Cape May, 609-884-5611,
hemingwayscapemay.com

while we’re on the subject of tons of flavor, for the designated
driver who happens to be a beer drinker, Lucky Bones serves
Beck’s N/A (our favorite one, and that was even before we
found out it only has 64 calories). 1200 Route 109, Cape May. 609884-2663, luckybonesgrille.com

Mad Batter
Before we could even speak to Kyle Kulkowitz, who was
tending bar when we stopped in at the Mad Batter on a busy
late afternoon, we overheard a woman across the bar asking
him to recommend a good, refreshing drink that had no alcohol (thank you, ma’am). He did not even hesitate, suggesting
an Orange Creamsicle, which was served up in an old-fashioned float glass. She said it’s “delicious — it’s like a dessert.”
Sounds good to us. They also have St Pauli N/A there, just in
case you’re not the dessert-first type. 19 Jackson Street, Cape
May, 609-884-5970, madbatter.com

G
Martini Beach

How can you possibly go into a place called Martini Beach
and not order a martini? We checked with bar manager
Christina Rodriguez, and it can be done! They started carrying Buckler N/A beer years ago for a regular customer who has
since passed away, and they still stock it. And they’d be happy
to whip up any sort of mock martini for you — just tell them
what you like and they’ll hook you up. And what would Christina recommend? “Passion fruit, peach juice, a shot of sour
mix, and a splash of club soda. In a martini glass, of course.”
Of course. 429 Beach Avenue, Cape May, 609-884-1925, martinibeachcapemay.com

Lucky Bones

The Beach Plum Mojito is way popular here, but bartender
Matt McGaffney told us that the virgin version of the same
drink is a big seller, too. “You’d be surprised,” he says. “Then
again, it’s really refreshing, and it’s got a ton of flavor.” And

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Merion Inn
Kaliber is the beverage of choice for non-drinkers at the
Merion, says bartender Mark Kobart — so we had one with
him. And if you’re not up for something as heavy as a brew
prior to an excellent Merion meal, Mark would be happy to
serve up a Perrier sparkling water — most people get it with
lemon or lime. Why have club soda when you can have Perrier?
106 Decatur Street, Cape May. 608-884-8363, merioninn.com

Pilot House
Bartender Chris Mendicino had just finished making a
batch of Bloody Mary mix when we visited the Pilot House,
and that beats the premixed bottled stuff every time, whether
you’re putting vodka in it or not. Other options for teetotalers besides a Virgin Mary at Pilot House include Kaliber, or
go with a nice bottle of Perrier, or perhaps… birch beer? “Yes
—we carry Pennsylvania Dutch bottled Birch Beer,” Chris told
us, “and Stewart’s Diet Root Beer.” 142 Decatur Street, Cape May.
609-884-3449, pilothousecapemay.com

Ugly Mug
O’Doul’s has always been the go-to N/A brew at the Ugly
Mug, but bartender John Armbruster told us that they’ve also
just started carrying Kaliber. “It’s just a way to offer people a
choice,” he says. So they get folks into the Mug who aren’t there
to drink, huh? Because we wondered about that… “Well, they
may not want it to look like they’re not drinking. In that case,
they’ll go with something like a 7-Up with a splash of cranberry. Looks like a cocktail, but it isn’t.” 426 Washington Street,
Cape May, 609-884-3459, uglymugcapemay.com

The N/A
wines
were a tad
sweeter, but
delicious.
And no
headaches
the next
day — even
sweeter.

Washington Inn
The Washington Inn Wine Bar is a hugely popular place
with area oenophiles, aka wine lovers, and with good reason.
But did you know that you can get a glass of N/A wine there?
And we know it’s technically grape juice, but we’re not talking about Welch’s here. We’re talking about Mendocino Pinot
Noir, a darker N/A wine, or go for the Gewukztramer (white)
N/A. Bartender Marty Santry poured us a sample of each, and
they were both quite good — a tad sweeter, perhaps, than wine
with alcohol, but delicious nonetheless. And no wine headache the next day — even sweeter. 801 Washington Street, Cape
May. 609-884-5697, washingtoninn.com.

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ecause it’s so refreshing to feel fully stretched
and healthy in the morning, I would start with
either a morning yoga
class or a run. I usually try to catch a
class from yoga instructor Lia Antonicello, who holds classes at the Chalfonte
Hotel and at the Wise Wellness Center.
Her mixture of challenging positions and
relaxing cooldowns leaves me feeling
stronger and calmer to begin my perfect
day. After that, I would stop in to YB for a
build-your-own egg-white omelette with
roasted reds, onions and olives. While
eating my breakfast, I can look out the
window at my next activity for the day —
the beach!
I usually like to meet up with friends
at Steger’s or Madison. It really doesn’t
matter which beach I’m at in Cape May.
As long as I’m next to the ocean, it’s perfect. After sitting for a few minutes, I

have to take a dip. A perfect day is never
perfect without sand between your toes
and salt water in your hair.
After I feel I’ve had enough sun for
the day, I am happy to leave the beach
for some retail therapy. I love to pop in
to the boutiques and surf shops on and
around the Washington Street Mall. I
love when I find unique, fun pieces to
add to my wardrobe. My usual spots to
find what I’m looking for are Pink, South
End, Ella Rae’s, and The Free Shop.
I like to head to Harry’s at the Montreal in the early evening to grab a drink.
Once again, I can look at my favorite
feature of Cape May (the beach), while
I sip on a freshly minted mojito made by
the friendly staff. I might grab some bruschetta and trout dip. If I’m on the other
side of town, I like to hit up the Rusty Nail
for one of their frozen drinks. I still feel
like I’m on the beach when I’m sitting in
the sand pit sipping on a Cape May Vice,
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47

october

HIGH NOTE
“Although most
people wouldn’t
include their job
as part of their
perfect day, I
would load my
car up with my
guitar and head
over to The
Brown Room
at Congress
Hall. It’s such a
blessing to be
able to do what I
love in my home
town and share
my music with
both the locals
and the summer
tourists,” says
Audrey Snow.
Aleksey Moryakov

2012

a blend of daiquiri and pina colada.
Although most people wouldn’t
include their job as part of their perfect
day, I would load my car up with my guitar and head over to The Brown Room
at Congress Hall. It’s such a blessing to
be able to do what I love in my home
town and share my music with both the
locals and the summer tourists. It really
is the perfect job. After singing, I might
head down to the Boiler Room to check
out what entertainment is happening.
It’s such a neat place because it makes
me feel like I am in a city somewhere. If I
have time, I might head down to Cabarneys (The Mug, Cabanas and Carney’s)
to meet up with some friends.
On a perfect day, I wouldn’t stay too
late because a good night’s sleep is my
idea of the perfect ending to the perfect
day in my favorite town on the Jersey
Shore... Cape May.

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october

2012

heroes and villains
the new fall offerings
at cape may stage delve
into darkness
(edgar allan poe)
and poetic inspiration
(emily dickinson)

Story by catherine dugan

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49

october

2012

A

UTUMN is
the perfect
time, and
Cape May
the perfect place,
for a visit
with two of America’s greatest authors,
Emily Dickinson and Edgar Allan Poe.
Walk along Cape May’s Victorian streets
and you can convince yourself that you
see a woman in white strolling through
a garden, or a slim, dark-haired gentleman with military bearing passing on the
sidewalk. Cape May Stage will present The
Belle of Amherst by William Luce, starring
Barbara Dana, from October 17 through
October 27, and Poe, Times Two starring
Greg Oliver Bodine from October 31 to
November 16.
Barbara Dana looks forward to bringing The Belle of Amherst to Cape May. She
believes that immersing oneself in history
can “nourish” an artist. While she wrote
her book on Emily Dickinson’s early life,
she lived in a “little house in a little hamlet
that looks like the 19th century,” complete
with a cemetery across the street.
Barbara Dana explores the life of

Actress
Barbara
Dana also
has an
abiding
interest in
wolves, who
she says are
like Emily
Dickinson
in that they
are “forces
of nature
— wild,
different,
not needy.
They make
you come to
them.”

Emily Dickinson in the play by William
Luce, which follows Dickinson from
the age of 15, when she was a girl full of
dreams, through her increasingly reclusive life, to her death at 56. Although she
rarely left her own yard, Dickinson, more
famous for her gardening than her poetry
while she lived, carried on an active social
life through her correspondence. According to Dana, Dickinson’s poems were
too far ahead of her time to be widely
published while she lived. Her work was
perceived as “raw,” and she was “very
much the rebel,” especially in her attitudes
toward the role of women and traditional
religion. She only published about a dozen
of her poems during her lifetime, but she
“created a whole new place for poetry to
go.” Her sister, Lavinia, is credited with
promoting Dickinson’s work after her
death, and sharing the modern, slightly
subversive poetry with America.
The play makes use of Dickinson’s
poetry to tell her story. One actor portrays
Dickinson, her friends, her teacher and
her father. Dana, a Dickinson scholar, has
done extensive research on the poet’s life
and art, which critics say adds layers of
complexity to her performance. She has

written Voice of Her Own: Becoming Emily
Dickinson and co-edited Wider than the Sky:
Essays and Meditations on the Healing Power
of Emily Dickinson with Cindy MacKenzie.
She plays the role in an exact replica of the
poet’s white dress, wearing a brooch given
to her by Julie Harris, who originated the
role on Broadway. Dana also has an abiding interest in wolves, who she says are
like Dickinson in that they are “forces of
nature — wild, different, not needy. They
make you come to them.”
In addition to her works on Dickinson, Dana is the author of several books
for young people. Necessary Parties, recognized by the American Library Association as a “Best Book,” was made into a film
featuring young Mark-Paul Gosselaar,
fresh from Saved by the Bell, as a teenager
who sues to prevent his parents’ divorce.
Zucchini tells the story of a ferret seeking
a home outside the zoo, and Young Joan,
the story of Joan of Arc, was inspired by
Dana’s performance in the play Joan of Lorraine. Dana also writes for adults — her
play War in Paramus was recognized as one
of the best new plays of 2006.
Though Dana is an award-winning
writer, acting is no mere hobby. She

A Poe-erful
performance
Actor-playwright
Greg Oliver
Bodine says that
the “historic
ambiance of Cape
May creates a
wonderful, gothic
setting for a play
like Poe, Times
Two,” which
adapts two of
Edgar Allan Poe’s
short stories,
“The Black Cat”
and “The Cask Of
Amontillado”

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began modeling as a child, and started
acting professionally at age 16, beginning
with commercials before finding roles on
live television. Through her career, Dana
has acted in shows from Law & Order to
Sesame Street, where she had a recurring
role in scenes teaching cooperation. Her
film credits include Raising Flagg, The InLaws, and Chu-Chu and the Philly Flash, and
on stage she has starred in Who’s Afraid of
Virginia Woolf?, Room Service, and Where’s
Daddy? Dana has three grown sons and
four grandchildren, and she lives in New
York State with a yellow Labrador named
Riley, who will be joining her in Cape May.
Greg Oliver Bodine, who stars in
Poe, Times Two, is also an award-winning
writer, often gaining critical acclaim for
acting in his own work. Bodine has been
called “an actor of extraordinary natural
gifts which he has honed to the highest
professional acuity.” A graduate of Hobart
College and the MFA program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Bodine lives in New York City. His film
credits include Earth Killer and Solar Vengeance. On television he has appeared in
Saturday Night Live, Guiding Light, and Law
& Order: SVU, and he has acted in the-

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Poe could
have been
a character
in one of his
own stories.
He was an
orphan
adopted and
rejected, a
sometime
soldier, a
gambler, and
a drinker
who sought
temperance.

ater in New York and across the country.
Bodine has written The Fatwa of Corpsman
Johnny Jones and has adapted stories from
authors like Charles Dickens, Charlotte
Perkins Gilman, and Thomas Hardy for
the stage.
Bodine credits small theaters like
Cape May Stage with providing “the lifeblood” for shows like Poe, Times Two, noting that “the most frustrating thing for me
as an actor-playwright is having a hit play
on my hands, only to let it… collect dust
after the initial production has closed.”
Bodine is grateful that “Cape May Stage
has extended the life” of his play, which
recently won three New York Innovative
Theater awards.
In Poe, Times Two, Bodine has adapted
two of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories,
“The Black Cat” and “The Cask of Amontillado”. The first tells the story of a man
on the night before his execution, who
attempts to explain his own behavior.
“The Cask of Amontillado” is a tale of
revenge which explores the ways “honor”
can be perverted into violence, with
echoes in reality which reveal Poe’s skill.
You’ll never look at Cape May’s stonework
the same way again.

Poe could have been a character in
one of his own stories. He was an orphan
adopted and rejected, a sometime soldier, a gambler, and a drinker who sought
temperance. Poe married his wife when
she was only thirteen, only to lose her to
tuberculosis before she was 25. He struggled to balance life and art, created the
modern detective story and made important contributions to science fiction, horror, and the short story. Poe died under
mysterious circumstances at age forty,
after he was found on the sidewalk, incoherent and wearing someone else’s clothing. The cause of death has never been
determined.
The Belle of Amherst runs from October
17 through October 27, Thursdays through
Saturdays at 8pm, and Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm. The play is two hours, with
intermission, and is suggested for ages 12
and up. Poe, Times Two runs from October
31 to November 16, Thursdays to Saturdays at 8pm, and Saturdays and Sundays,
at 3pm. The play is appropriate for ages 10
and up, and runs for 65 minutes with no
intermission. For information and tickets,
contact Cape May Stage at (609) 884-1341
or visit capemaystage.com.

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52

october

2012

STORY OF A
REMARKABLE
WOMAN
Barbara Dana
channels Emily
Dickinson (and
her friends) in
the one-woman
show, The Belle
of Amherst,
which chronicles
the poet’s life,
from 15 to 56.
Dickinson, whose
work was ahead
of her time, was
considered “very
much the rebel.”

this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cape may film festival offers a
smorgasbord of features large and small
and asks the big question: can we ever
believe the relationships we see onscreen?

Story by TOM SIMS

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55

october

2012

T

he Cape May Film
Festival will celebrate its twelfth
year on October
19-21 at the Chalfonte Hotel. “In
the relative life of
film festivals, twelve years is a reason to
celebrate,” says Dottie Knapp, President
of the Cape May Film Festival. “We’ve
seen several festivals come and go,” she
says. “Of course the national festivals,
such as Sundance or Tribeca, will always
remain, but the future of community film
festivals is sometimes not so certain. And
the defining characteristic of a successful
community film festival is having a team
of creative volunteers who are dedicated
to film screenings. It’s no wonder we have
received the New Jersey People’s Choice
Award for the first three consecutive years
that the award was offered.”
Knapp has been a committed part of
the festival for years, having presented
film screenings, clips programs, and been
part of discussion panels. She and husband Mal have also been part of programming and planning for the last few years
and have made significant investments in

star of
tHE show
Opposite page:
Locally connected
filmmaker Greg
Henry presented
the acclaimed
Redemption at
last year’s Cape
May Film Festival.

the festival’s future. “We believe in sharing films with neighbors, friends, and the
great visitors of our town,” she says. “Sure
you can watch a lot of films online these
days as well as on big screen TVs in your
home, but you can’t hear the laughter of
others, feel the tension during suspenseful
moments, or talk with one another afterward — that takes a film society.”
This year, the festival is planning one
of its most comprehensive programs
ever offered. The weekend begins with
an opening program on Friday, entitled
“Romance: Impossible”, hosted by the creators of the website reel-couples.com, on
which creators Karyn Witzel and Caroline
Corman rate couples who appear in films
to determine if they will stay together after
the end credits roll. Harry and Sally? Yeah
they’ll make it. Melvin and Carol from As
Good As It Gets? Probably not. On Friday
night, the two will present their favorite
romance film clips, and their in-depth
assessment of couples from the movies.
Karyn Witzel says, “I think I’ve lost my
sense of romance. At least when it comes
to the movies. I seem to have become too
cynical. I used to love love stories. Dramas, romantic comedies — I loved them

all. Watching two people fall madly in
love and then head off into the sunset to
live happily ever after was always a great
way to spend an evening. But I’ve found
over the years that I can no longer believe
in Happily Ever After. As the movie goes
on I find myself looking more and more
askance at the couple-to-be and questioning their chances of ever really making
it work. Are these two really going to live
forever in wedded bliss? Nine times out of
10 I just don’t see it happening.”
On Saturday, the festival will show
short films that are either being made
in New Jersey or that have never been
screened in the state before. “Some of
these filmmakers are relative newcomers and some have been making films
for years,” says Stefan Prosky, Curator of
Films. “We have hosted Susan Sarandon
in the past, as well as Joe Pantoliano, Vincent Pastore and important independent
filmmakers such as Greg Henry, whose
work has appeared on National Geographic Channel. And as always we are
working on presenting a main feature on
Saturday night that will greatly impress.
When you’re trying to attract high-end
talent to the area, it takes a lot of time and

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56

october

2012

A family place
A first-date place
A dinner-and-a-movie place
A perfect place for any occasion.

a lot of schedule manipulation to make it
work.”
Sunday, the festival will honor Marilyn Monroe on the 50th anniversary of
her death. As recent as last year, there has
been an account of her life that garnered
not only box office sales but Oscar attention as well (My Week with Marilyn star
Michelle Williams was nominated for a
Best Actress Oscar). “We’ll look at her
greatest works, but also some of her most
important work,” says presenter Paul
Sofian, an expert on Hollywood’s golden
age. “Look at her first starring role in
Niagara, which garnered for her a great
deal of critical praise. After that film, she
always had a starring role. Her memory
endures not because of her sex appeal
and acting ability. There was a mystique
behind Ms Monroe that transcends time
and endures despite our changing perceptions of what it means to be a lead actress.”
The work of the Cape May Film Society does not end in October, and it relies on
the support of the community to continue
our good works. “Membership to the Society is free,” says Corbin Cogswell, Chair of
the society’s Program and Membership
Committee. “Our hope is that people will

HONORING
MARILYN
On Sunday,
October 21 the
Cape May Film
Festival will honor
Marilyn Monroe
on the 50th
anniversary of her
death. Opposite
page: Monroe in
her first starring
role, Niagara,
and in the iconic
Some Like It
Hot, in which she
starred with Tony
Curtis and Jack
Lemmon.

enjoy the programs they attend and support the group with donations and their
own time. This year, the society took the
concept of smaller screenings even more
intimate by introducing house parties to
its offering of film programs. “We had a
great time hosting our house party,” says
Cogswell. “We showed Under the Tuscan
Sun, and it was great to get together and
watch the film with friends and neighbors. We served some refreshments and
had a little time for discussion afterward.
It’s like a book club for movie lovers. Our
group has great opportunities for good
fellowship and camaraderie with people
who have like interests doing something
that most of us like: watching movies.”
For the past decade, the film society
has hosted an annual film camp, and this
year was no different. Four films were
created that are among some of the best
films the students have created. “This
year’s camp helps us identify young filmmakers locally that can help us with other
productions throughout the year,” says
Gail Schmidtchen, Chair of the society’s
Education Committee. “Every year we
work with local non-profits to showcase
on film the great works that they do on

Seaside
Cheese Co.

behalf of residents of Cape May county.
These films that are made at film camp
are great productions, and the subsequent
films made out in the community are just
as important.”
The Cape May Film Academy is the
educational outreach that works on these
productions, and the work is possible
with the ongoing support of the Cape May
County Division of Culture and Heritage.
“Through their help,” says Schmitchen,
“we’ve been able to accomplish the camp,
a film history on Cape May County, and so
many other projects.”
“So many people reminisce about the
good old days and how different things
were back in the day,” says Dottie Knapp.
“Well, this is a perfect way to feel connected with people like we did in the past.
There are so many ways we are separated
in this day and age with the Internet, cable
television, and other distractions. The
Cape May Film Society, our screenings,
and our annual festival are great ways to
come together.”
You can find out more about the Cape
May Film Society at capemayfilm.org or
by calling/texting 609-326-FEST (3378).

HE Chalfonte Hotel is a treasured survivor of a bygone age that has weathered the passing of time with more
than a glance of luck and serendipity.
While the world around the Chalfonte
continued to change, it has remained,
even if accidentally, a steady marker
in a constantly changing tide. Since the 1970s, preservationists, master gardeners, carpenters and local historical society members have descended on the hotel to volunteer their
time in what has become an interesting subculture called
The Chalfonte Work Weekend.
My own Chalfonte journey started innocently enough by
sitting in one of the hotel’s rocking chairs on its first-floor
veranda after a walk in Cape May. Rocking on the veranda
soon led to a weekend stay and explorations from its cupola
high atop the hotel offering ocean vistas, to its 130-foot corridors and room after room filled with a simplified antique
elegance. The commitment of time was not an easy choice
and shortly afterwards I registered to become a work weekender. With bag and work clothes in tow, I trekked to Cape
May during the following spring.
There’s a beauty to Cape May in those serene pauses
before and after the summer season. Cape May in the springtime is a place of transcendence, with trees budding and
flowers reawakening from winter sleep. When you stumble
across the Chalfonte, tucked away on Howard Street, a couple blocks from the ocean, you discover it’s the Holy Grail in
the center of something that should not have survived. And

Exquisite jewelry; world-class advice; friendly service; Victorian charm.
We make it easy to celebrate those you love.

so, I became a work weekender, because at some point you
have to, because you already have done everything there is to
do in the land that time forgot.
After checking in to a sleepy nearly empty hotel, I woke
up that first weekend morning in my assigned room to hear
longtime Chalfonte stalwart Jim Abrams knocking on my
hotel door, trumpeting me to rise and shine. As the hotel
filled with golden sunshine, the intoxicating aromas of a
hearty breakfast began curling up the staircases. Out of bed
you stumble into the kitchen and you almost can’t believe
your eyes when you see Dottie and Lucille smiling back at
you and greeting the day with youthful smiles from what
must surely be tired bodies after spending nearly a lifetime
in the Chalfonte’s kitchen, learning the craft in the shadow of
their mother, Helen Dickerson.
After breakfast and work assignments this typical group
of Cape May faithfuls known as work weekenders usually
meet in the courtyard behind the hotel where time can stand
still. The courtyard with its backwards view of the cupola is
a sheltering cocoon from the salty ocean brine air and the
complexities of the modern world beyond. It is here that the
hardcore work of the work weekend begins. What had been
an old stable back in the late 1800s is now used as a walk-in

volunteer army The author, Will Valentino, top, during a previous work
weekend — the practice has been going on since the 1970s and has been an
invaluable tool for getting the Chalfonte Hotel into shape every season

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tool crib from where paint, scrapers and dust masks are freely
handed out the entire weekend.
Here in the courtyard is where
you can stumble upon countless
artifacts from the hotel’s past.
An old coal furnace stands outside the kitchen door in quiet
retirement. At one time, numerous, cast-iron bed frames original to the hotel lay rusting here,
although today only a few remain.
From the courtyard, the assigned
groups make their way through
the hotel with scrapers, paint,
rakes, nails and hammers, and
for the next four hours the Chalfonte will receive the first of many
makeovers before the first guests
arrive on Memorial Day.
Leaving behind my own
home in Palmyra, New Jersey was
either a fanciful escape or plain
foolishness — after all, my own
125-year-old Victorian wood
frame house also needed some
special attentions — but, still, the
peeling old hotel would receive
top priority.
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That first work weekend, I
helped to paint the lobby of the
grand lady and suddenly, after a
weekend of scraping, spackling,
sanding and painting the most
important room in the hotel, I
was no longer an outsider. When
Anne LeDuc, the Chalfonte’s former, longtime owner, started the
work weekends, she allowed ordinary people to become a part of
the Chalfonte family and its history. It changed me and my relationship with the hotel forever.
This old hotel has always been
surrounded by people who loved
it dearly and respected it, and
when you become a work weekender you become part of this
extended family of people who
have kept it going over the many
years. When the work on the
lobby was completed on Sunday
afternoon, I successfully huddled
everyone I worked with to pose
for a photograph with a camera
I bought that weekend, because
you realize these are moments
worth remembering and trea-

suring like a falling star in your
pocket.
I have returned nearly every
year since then, sometimes working several weekends to scrape
and paint the verandas I once
rocked on, only now, as an endoctrined member of the Chalfonte
Family, scraper in hand and layers
of white paint and plaster covering my clothes like a badge of
honor.
Names are reapplied to
remembered faces from past work
weekends as they slowly arrive,

one by one on Friday evening to
haphazardly gather around the
metal table in the kitchen where
Lucille, Dot and the kitchen staff
have meticulously prepared
countless meals to summertime
travelers with sand in their shoes.
As my first years as a Chalfonte work weekender unfolded, I
became woven in the tapestry of
many wonderful memories and
experiences, all of which would
not have been possible if Ann Le
Duc had not started this extension of the Chalfonte family called
the work weekend.
There is absolutely nothing
like a Saturday night at the hotel
in spring when after completing
your first six hours working, you
return to your hotel room, aching and sore. After showering,
and putting on some clothes that
aren’t layered in paint and dirt,
the intoxicating aromas of Dottie
and Lucille’s famous fried chicken
start to fill the hotel from the bottom up. The spring air is blowing
the curtains away from the win-

This old hotel has
always been surrounded
by people who loved it
dearly and respected it,
and when you become
a work weekender you
become part of this
extended family of
people who have kept it
going over the years.

dows as you comb your hair in the pitted backwards silver of an old Victorian
mirror and you realize: how could you
ever tell anyone about this because you
know it’s the best kept secret in Cape
May and perhaps the universe. It’s Zen,
and it happens a lot on your typical
Chalfonte work weekend. The whole
experience transcends the work itself.
If you are lucky, the hotel will be
playing host to some event on Saturday
night and the hotel, even while reawakening from its slumber is abuzz with
guests for a wedding, or a dance in its
ballroom. One such event I can recall
with fondness was a group of Victorian
ballroom dancers who arrived in full
costume, with a live chamber quartet
in tow. That evening the hotel filled
with music Henry Sawyer (the Chalfonte’s famous founder) himself would
have danced to. I can’t describe the
sounds of shoes dancing and tapping
in rhythm on the wooden floors as they
resonated through the entire hotel.
Time travel, courtesy of the Chalfonte
Hotel is always on the menu and a perk
of the working weekends.
As a guest of the Chalfonte dur-

READY TO TAKE
CARE OF YOU
Opposite page:
For more than 60
years, Lucille and
Dot Burton have
been cooking
up remarkable
downhome
Southern food in
the kitchen of the
Chalfonte... and
this is one of the
ultimate perks
for the work
weekenders

ing the summer season you will collect your own plentiful memories of
your stay, but as a working weekender,
the Chalfonte is the only place in the
world where you could say you spent
six hours in one of the restrooms just
off the main lobby with a wonderful
charming lady — painting it of course,
over the space of a weekend. During
my first five years I have painted untold
numbers of hotel rooms, scraped,
spackled and painted every hallway,
including the lobby. I’ve installed and
removed window screens and awnings
and mowed the gracious front lawn of
the hotel before a wedding.
I had become more a work weekender and less of a guest but last year, it
was a pleasure to stay as a guest of the
hotel just at the end of summer, discovering my assigned room, #40, was one
I helped paint a few years earlier. The
one difference was that now it was air
conditioned, and I honestly didn’t want
to leave this newfound haven of simple
and gracious elegance overlooking the
oceanside corner of the hotel’s second-floor veranda. I eventually did, of
course… to reluctantly check out!

In 2008, Ann LeDuc finally found
someone she could sell the hotel to in
the person of Robert Mullock. Like Ann
before him, Robert had always been a
close patron of the extended family
of the Chalfonte and was married in
its ballroom many years earlier to his
wife Linda. When you think about the
consequences of the Chalfonte falling
into the hands of greedy investors, the
transaction seems right and the Mullocks have taken over the reigns of the
hotel with a renewed vigor and confidence. During his first introduction at
a work weekend after the sale of the
hotel, Robert kidded that he thought
he purchased the hotel but with Ann
always nearby offering advice from
years of experience he still wasn’t too
sure he was the owner. Ann’s perseverance in waiting until she found the right
owner to sell to has paid off — Robert
appears be a true visionary, making
subtle necessary changes to the hotel
while never losing sight of its historical
sensitivity and the reason people continue to come to the Chalfonte.
As a work weekender you are
working alongside the Mullock family,

Take a little history
home with you!
WHALE’S TALE GALLERY

Out of the Past
Antiques

Featuring a collection of designers from Cape May to Honolulu

Open Daily
Just behind the Mall at
513 Carpenter’s Lane
(60 9) 846-7100

394 Myrtle Avenue 884-3357
outofthepast@comcast.net
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mystery date
Relive the
fond memories
of playing this
classic game
from the 1960s

Have your old fur made into
a beautiful teddy bear!
A Gift from the Heart

hand to hand and paint brush to bead
board. The family works together in
caring for the hotel, and Linda’s decorative touches and energy can be seen
throughout the hotel. Once again last
year, Ann returned and when I asked to
take her photo she replied with modesty, “Oh why would anyone want to
take a picture of me?” The truth is, I
said, she is now a part of Chalfonte
history herself, having done her part to
attend to the lady. She can now sit back
and become a guest of the hotel once
again, as she was when she was seven
years old. She has given the hotel a new
lease on life.
In the course of my Chalfonte stays,
I can’t recall a single year, spring or
fall when something magical fails to
happen. This past spring, the memory of witnessing a passing thunder
and lightning storm while in the close
confines of the hotel’s cupola will be
a memory that will stay with me forever. I watched as lightning curled
upwards, majestically out of the ominous approaching clouds, glowing
with an ancient spark and fire from
deep within. I watched the storm pass

I can’t recall
a single
year, spring
or fall when
something
magical fails
to happen.
This past
spring, the
memory of
witnessing
a passing
thunder and
lightning
storm while
in the close
confines of
the hotel’s
cupola will
be a memory
that will
stay with me
forever.

over the hotel and out to sea, lightning
splintering across the sky... only at the
Chalfonte in Cape May.
Better book your stay at this eternal
space by the sea quickly and perhaps
you too will discover a memory that
will stay with you forever. This legendary cupola, which still houses the
remains of the hotel’s original flagpole
carved from the trunk of a single tree,
is the stuff of memories from what I’m
told and at the top of the hotel you are
much closer to the stars to make a wish
on a falling star.
In the spring, it takes several weekends to bring life back to the hotel for its
opening Memorial Day weekend, when
it’s like a new dime freshly minted and
polished to a shine, its freshly painted
verandas soon to be filled with diners and beach goers summering at the
shore. Soon the kitchen and boarding
rooms fill with college kids from Ireland and Poland who make up the summer staff.
After the season opens, most Chalfonte employees will attest that there
is a buildup of excitement at the old
hotel as summer is in full stride and the

hotel is playing host to any number of
events, from special dinners, plays and
concerts.
After September, the height of summer has given way to cooler breezes and
most of the Chalfonte’s summer help
have returned to school as the season
sputters to a close while the old hotel
still sparks with weddings, art shows
and most recently film festivals. By the
fall, the hotel takes a deep breath as the
work weekenders return to put away
the chairs and roll up its famous green
awnings and the staffers at the Chalfonte breathe a sigh of relief as the hotel
is closed for the winter, standing naked
on Howard Street as the setting sun
passes through its gingerbread onto
the clapboards above its once covered
verandas. All things end, but the Chalfonte Hotel will go on forever, as long as
we want it to.
The Chalfonte’s next fall work weekend
is from October 26 to 28. For more information or to sign up for a work weekend, please
contact Nancy Granick at the Chalfonte, on
(609) 884-8409.

A
Cape
May
Tradition...
Celebrating 40 years of the finest fudge, chocolates and other sweet treats!

bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of a cheap price is forgotten ”

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- F ranklin

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the way
they were
famous cape may landmarks, and
how they used to look
Story and Photo Illustrations by BEN MILLER
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concrete ship
The SS Atlantus was one of 12 concrete tankers and transport
ships built by the government during the First World War.
Concrete was much cheaper and more durable than steel,
with the added bonus of the ship’s construction time being
nearly half that of a steel vessel.
The Atlantus was a troop transport ship and was dubbed
the “floating tombstone” by the soldiers who rode it back
to the US after the war. Two years after it was launched, in
1920, the ship was retired from active service — the US Navy
had discovered that concrete ships required nearly twice the
amount of fuel of other ships.
In 1926, Colonel Jesse Rosenfeld, purchased the Atlantus
and had it towed to Cape May as part of a plan for a new ferry
service. The colonel planned to use three concrete ships,
arranged in a Y formation as a dock for ferries. It was moored
just offshore when an early storm hit and slammed it into a
sandbar. Rosenfeld wasn’t able to free her and the Atlantus
has remained there ever since, slowly decaying and twisting
apart.

THE GIANT OF
BEACH AVENUE
Previous page:
The Christian
Admiral, originally
known as the
Hotel Cape May,
was a muchloved presence
on the eastern
beachfront
before its
demolition in
1996. It was
replaced by
private homes.

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CHRISTIAN Admiral
This majestic Cape May landmark, a shining symbol of
Reverend Carl McIntire’s Christian Beacon Press, started
life as the luxurious Hotel Cape May. Construction on the
behemoth started in 1906 and took two years, due to a series
of accidents and disruptions, including the death of at least
one laborer, a partial collapse and a race riot among the
workers.
All the problems seemed to be settled when the hotel
opened its doors in April of 1908, with the developers
boasting it was one of the largest in the world. At eight
stories tall and 350 hotel rooms, it was a contender, but it
proved to be a failure almost immediately and was forced to
shut its doors six months later.
After two stints as an army hospital, multiple failed hotel
bids and subsequent sheriff sales, Reverend McIntire bought
the hotel in 1963. It was condemned and slated for demolition
at the time, but he renovated it to pristine condition.
McIntire ran the Christian Admiral until his organization
filed for bankruptcy, like every previous owner of the hotel.
Developers were sought to purchase and renovate the badly
deteriorated building, but after 80 showings, there were no
serious offers. The Christian Admiral was demolished in
1996.

2012

Centre House
Like the United States Hotel, the Centre
House stood along Washington Street,
from Jackson to Perry. It was four stories
tall and had the capacity to serve 400
guests, which is 100 more than today’s
Congress Hall. Built in 1840 by Jeremiah
Mecray, the Centre House was one of the
first Cape May hotels to be painted —
the pale yellowish hue was a great selling
point back in the mid-19th century.
The Centre House escaped the
1869 fire, but wasn’t so lucky when the
adjacent Ocean House hotel burst into
flames on the morning of November 9,
1878. The Ocean House was situated
along Perry Street and abutted the back
of the Centre House. Unlike the 1869
fire, there was a fierce ocean breeze in
1878 and it didn’t take long for flames to
spread in all directions.
Nearly 30 acres of downtown Cape
May was lost in that fire, including the
Centre House, which was replaced by a
series of commercial shops.
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Convention Hall
Cape May’s original Convention Hall
opened its doors in 1918, on the newly
created Municipal Pier. The majestic
building was nearly destroyed in the
1944 Great Atlantic Hurricane, then
finally fell victim to the 1962 Ash
Wednesday Nor’easter.
The land remained empty until
a new, temporary hall was opened
in 1965 by Mayor Frank Gauvry.
Called a “glorified barn” by those who
remembered the elegance of the first
hall, the building was constructed
for $250,000 and built entirely by
city workers. It was meant to be a
temporary solution until funds could
be amassed to rebuild the original hall,
but it became a beloved fixture in the
town. The “temporary” hall stood until
2008, when it was deemed structurally
unsound.
In 2012, Mayor Ed Mahaney opened
a new $10.5 million Convention Hall
that the city hopes will serve Cape
May as well as the two previous
buildings. There’s been much debate
over the design and functionality of the
building, but only time will tell how it
stacks up against its predecessors.

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Lafayette Hotel
The original Lafayette was a site to
behold. It was shaped like an S, with
one wing spanning half a block north
on Decatur, connected to a section that
ran along Beach Avenue and another,
smaller wing that extended south.
It was built in 1884 and adorned
with gorgeous pillars that were
removed in 1920, in an attempt to
modernize the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exterior. Next
to the Lafayette Hotel on the east side
was the Weightman Cottage, which
contrary to popular myths, was not
split in two halves when it was moved
to the property. The large house
remained intact through the move and
many years afterwards. When it was
sold by the family to the owners of
the Lafayette Hotel in the early 20th
century, it was split into two halves to
provide more ocean views
The Lafayette Hotel was
demolished in 1970 by the owners,
during Cape Mayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s period of Urban
Renewal. It was believed that the new
Marquis de Lafayette would be more
profitable.

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United States hotel
It’s hard to imagine it looking at the
Washington Street mall today, but at
one time, the three-block section was
home to three very large hotels. The
United States was one of those hotels
and stood four stories tall on the corner
of Decatur and Washington Streets —
its front entrance was the site of what is
now Stewart’s Root Beer.
The hotel was built in 1853
and lasted only 16 years, until the
devastating fire of 1869 reduced the
building to ashes.
Unlike most other fires that
devastated the city, the 1869 blaze
occurred at the height of the season
and the United States Hotel was nearly
filled to capacity at the time of the fire.
Luckily, the alarms were sounded in
time and all the guests were able to
escape with their lives, though not with
their belongings.
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Summer Station
Back in the days of rail travel, hordes
of vacationers would flock to train
stations in Philadelphia and elsewhere,
waiting for the locomotive that would
bring them to Cape May. There were
four different train stations over the
history of Cape Mayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rail service, but
none have captured the imagination of
visitors like the famed Summer Station.
Summer Station was built by the
Pennsylvania Railroad in 1876, at the
foot of Grant Street.
The depot was Cape Mayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second
summer train station, replacing a
much smaller structure on Jackson
Street that was built by the West Jersey
Railroad years earlier. It fell victim
to the wreckers ball in the 1940s, as
automobiles became the favored mode
of transportation for visitors to the
Jersey Shore.
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Windsor hotel
As Cape May struggled to rebuild
what was lost in the Great Fire of 1878,
replacing the mammoth hotels with
smaller versions, cottages or stores,
Thomas Whitney took advantage
of the new direction Cape May was
taking. He hired popular architect,
Stephen Decatur Button, to design two
hotel wings that would attach onto his
existing cottage along Congress Street.
The final result was the Windsor,
similar in size and style to the new
Congress Hall next door
In 1979, just months shy of its 100th
anniversary, the Windsor Hotel was
lost to fire. Nobody was ever charged,
though there have been multiple
theories on who did it. While the hotel
was closed at the time, the owner
claimed to have been using it to store
valuable antiques. Electricians who had
been in the hotel a few weeks before the
fire verified that there was a lot of old
furniture on the lower level.
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musthaves

from the shops of cape may

Artizan Salon and Spa
600 Park Boulevard, West Cape May
609-884-4499

Who says you have to settle for what
Mother Nature gives you? Sun, sand,
and aging — all of these can sap the color
from your hair and skin. Allow one of the
pros at Artizan to restore the vibrant
color and highlights to your crowning
glory and soothe and pamper your skin.
Artizan is a full-service salon, and they
are open year-round.

Celebrate Cape May

315 Ocean Street, Cape May
609-884-9230
celebatecapemay.com
It’s always the season to celebrate
Cape May, so toast your favorite town
with a little something from Celebrate
Cape May, a full service souvenir and
gift shop carrying Cape May-centric
clothing, decals, wine glasses, and much,
much more. And don’t forget to get your
hermit crab here, too, and all the things
you’ll need for him.

Cape May Bird
Observatory

Cape May Linen

701 E. Lake Drive, Cape May Point
609-884-2736
Who would have thought? What a great
store they have here at the Bird Observatory — you’ll hit the gift-giving jackpot
for your favorite avian fan here — everything from binoculars to books to really
great bird-inspired canvas totes — you
certainly don’t have to be a bird-lover to
appreciate this stuff!

110 Park Boulevard, West Cape May
866-884-3630
capemaylinen.com
You shop in some places because it’s that
time of year — surmmertime or holiday,
and others you shop in all year-round
because you love it. Cape May Linen is
just such a place. Everything you could
possibly need for bed and bath (kitchen
towels and curtains, too!), at rock-bottom prices. A Cape May must-visit.

Good Scents

Henry’s Fine Jewelry

327 Carpenters Lane, Cape May
609-884-0014
sensia.com
Gift idea central right here, folks —
whether for you or someone else. You
don’t stick around for over 25 years
unless you’re good at it, and when it
comes to fragrances for the body and
home, Good Scents is good at it. Incense,
candles, oils, plus home accents, jewelry,
and CD’s, too! You can start (or end)
your holiday shopping here.

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407 Washington Street, Cape May
609-884-0334
You say you have a Cape May lover in
your life? Of course you do. So give the
perfect Cape May reminder, an original
Cape May Hook Bracelet from Henry’s.
They’ll think of Cape May — and of you
— every time they put it on. Or really
pull out all the stops and check out their
selection of rare yellow diamonds — the
largest in the area.

Quandary: What to get your favorite
sports nut when the same old jersey just
won’t do? Solution: A visit to Cape May
Sports Memorabilia at Antiques Emporia
(or shop them online!). Highest-quality
sports cards and memorabilia at the
most reasonable prices around.

Italian Garden

510 Carpenters Lane, Cape May
609-884-2300
Sometimes gift-giving involves that
little touch of luxury that your special
someone may not think of for themselves.
Check out the awesome, downright
decadent selection of hand and body
treatments, massage oils, perfumes, face
tonics and masks, cleansers, bath foams
here. It’s shelf after shelf of luxurious
soaps, lotions and creams in one spot, all
appealingly displayed.

COOL CAPE MAY
The Complete Guide to America’s Original Seaside Resort

Where to Eat!

Where to sho

p!

wher

to play!
e
r
e
h
w
and

e to s
tay!

Available at the Exit Zero Store for only $15!
109 Sunset Boulevard, Cape May • (609) 770-8479
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2012

Fne antiques and
estate jewelry...
Specializing in
high end engagement
rings and
designer jewelry .
Handbags and other
accessories too!

609.898.1777
Located in Congress
Hall Hotel

Women’s Boutique Fashions
Clothing, shoes, jewelry, accessories

Unnecessarily Fabulous Since 1995!

by Victorious
in The Pink House • 33 PERRY STREET, CAPE MAY • 609.898.1113
FOLLOW US ON

at “Victorious Pink” for printable coupons,
specials and new merchandise
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musthaves

from the shops of cape may

Kate’s Flowers

Mary Ann’s Jewelers

600 Park Boulevard, West Cape May
609-884-6181
katesflowershop.com
Established in 1984, Kate’s Flowers is
a true small-town treasure, offering
prompt, professional services with that
next-door-neighbor touch. Let Kate
and her dedicated staff help decorate
your Thanksgiving table, and keep them
in mind when you want to say it with
flowers during the holidays.

Talk about bang for your buck. The tiniest
store in town has some of the most
stunning jewelry you’ll find in the south
Jersey area, with a staggering collection
of contemporary and estate gems to suit
every possible taste and budget. And
they also buy diamonds, gold and silver
— keep that in mind if you’re in need of
some extra holiday cash.

PINK

33 Perry Street, Cape May
609-898-1113
Knock their socks off at your next event
when you let your inner fashionista come
out to play in a special frock from Pink.
And don’t fret about the details like
shoes, handbags, scarves, jewelry and
other accessories — Julie and her crew
at the little pink house have got you
covered there, too. Be fabulous, darling.

511 Washington Street, Cape May
609-898-8786

Tea By The Sea

405 West Perry Street, West Cape May,
609-898-4TEA
teaincapemay.com
Life’s little problems can seem much
easier to bear when you’re sipping a
soothing cup of tea, and we defy you
to beat the selection at Tea By the Sea.
Put a twist on your upcoming holiday
gathering by hosting a tea party. Tea By
The Sea has not only the tea, but all the
acessories you need to go along with it.

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Original Fudge Kitchen

513 Washington and 728 Beach Drive
800-23-FUDGE
fudgekitchens.com
The holidays are right around the corner
— eat your fudge with impunity! And
don’t forget to share it. The folks at
Original Fudge Kitchen will ship their
delicious creamy fudge — or any of their
other confections — anywhere in the
world. Be sure to ingratiate yourself with
every lucky recipient on your list with a
gift from Original Fudge Kitchen.

Whale’s Tale

–312 Washington Street, Cape May
609-884-4808
whalestalecapemay.com
Anyone who really knows Cape May
knows the Whale’s Tale is the place to
find fabulous greeting cards, gorgeous
ornaments, toys, puzzles and books, not
to mention jewelry, decorative shells and
other home décor under one charming
roof. They’ve been at it for over 35, and
they are still going strong.

Established in 1980, the creative minds at
Patricia Jackson Jewelers have some of
the most unique handcrafted designs you
will come across — including the Exit Zero
charm! We’re especially fond of their sea
life collection — gorgeous and whimsical
pieces inspired by creatures of the sea.

White

605 Hughes Street, Cape May
609-884-5061
vivianerowandesign.com
Whether home design is a passion of
yours or you are completely clueless,
White is your decoration destination
in Cape May. Stunning furniture and
objets d’art for your home, and all the
design expertise and guidance you could
possibly need are available for you here
in this beautiful, serene spot.

my perfect day pat wenzel, co-owner of cape may wicker and artist

Silence, landscapes, and turtles

M

y perfect day would
begin with silence — no
alarm clock. I roll out of
bed and take my time
getting ready since I am in
no rush. First morning stop is the Cape May
Point Post Office. It’s always an enjoyable
event to connect with neighbors and
pick up the mail. Melissa gives everyone
a friendly “hi” or Wes is there sharing his
morning newspaper.
Knowing that my capable employees
are in full control of the stores and making
customers happy enables me to meet
friends for breakfast. The Dock Mike’s on
Broadway has a healthy menu and a variety
of unusual foods. I choose to eat the
delicious vegetable omelet since it covers
it all. It’s fun to catch up with the activities
of Paula and Matthew, who help their
parents at the restaurant during school
breaks. I will be joined by my good friends
Eleanor, Kathleen, and Pat. We share many

memories and can never go a moment
without laughing.
To find time to enjoy my hobby of oil
painting is rare, but it would happen in my
perfect day. I would paint for as long as I
wanted to with no interruptions. I began
painting about five years ago. Landscapes
are my favorite, so that’s what I will do.
A visit to the Gail Pierson Art Gallery on
Washington Street is always fun, especially
if I have one or two paintings on display.
Her receptions are classy, serving tidbits
from Seaside Cheese and The Depot
Market.
What evening isn’t complete without
sitting on the Schooner, behind the Lobster
House. I will have a glass of wine and a dish
of oysters with my husband Bill — we have
been married for 51 years. They only serve
appetizers since it is like a cocktail lounge,
my ideal place to eat. This is a favorite
place for taking photos for my art work. It is
so relaxing to watch the boats go back and
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october

A TIME
TO PAINT
“To find time to
enjoy my hobby
of oil painting
is rare, but it
would happen in
my perfect day.
I would paint
for as long as I
wanted to with
no interruptions.
I began painting
about five years
ago. Landscapes
are my favorite,
so that’s what I
will do,” says Pat
Wenzel.
Aleksey Moryakov

2012

forth as the sun sets in the background.
The orange pinkish glow reminds me of
how blessed my life is, and how thankful
I am. We also enjoy talking with Keith and
Joe. The wait staff is excellent, especially
Megan, our friend’s daughter.
Stopping on my way home at the
new Sunset Liquors store to pick up
refreshments is very nice — the O’Hara
family is doing a great job with the
store. They are so willing to please their
customers. I buy a bottle of white wine.
Returning home and taking care of my
kitties is what I love to do, and I’m sure they
appreciate it. Living in the Point, there are
so many turtles. Maybe even more than
the amount of cats I have! I always have to
check under my car for the neighborhood
turtle before driving. A perfect end to my
perfect day would be relaxing at home with
my husband. Our local community creates
a warm fuzzy feeling to make a perfect day
even better.

NEW OILS ON CANVAS AND BOARD.
SEASCAPES AND LANDSCAPES.
NOW AVAILABLE.
VISIT MY GALLERY OR SEE THEM AT MY SHOWS...

S IT a bird? Is it a plane? It’s
Matt Lively and a new take on
Beecycles! Matt Lively Returns
to the Gail Pierson Gallery with
his signature Beecycles and
other new work.
The BEES are back, and once
again they are on CYCLES. It is the
BEECYCLES!
The Gail Pierson Gallery warmly
hails Matt Lively back to Cape May for
his fourth annual exhibit. South Jersey
has its share of Matt Lively “Beecycle”
collectors, so much so that Matt is
known in some circles as the “Bee
man.”
He denies it.
The new Matt Lively show opened to
acclaim and a crowd at the Gail Pierson
Gallery on Saturday, September 22. An
opening reception on Saturday evening welcomed the artist, the Gallery’s
friends, fans, and visitors to Cape May,
to share the Gallery’s signature hospitality, and to find a special piece of art.
The show will run through the month
of October.
Matt Lively is an internationally
acclaimed artist living in Richmond,

cute bugs
Matt Lively never
anticipated
devoting a whole
show to bees on
unicycles, but
the paintings
have become
so popular, he’s
earned the name
“bee man.”

Virginia, where he works in a 130-year
old barn that is close to his family.
A lot of things get made in the barn
and some of them are shown nationally and internationally. When not in
the studio, Lively teaches at Virginia
Commonwealth University (VCU) and
the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
As an artist, Matt moves between
various media, depending on the
season and his mood. In the winter
months, he does drawings and screen
prints. In the summer, he’s working
with wood, tar, oil and varnish, which
he described to the Rocketts Landing
Blog, which we quote here, as “real
cavemen-like” tools. Overall, he tends
to focus more on the art as an entity
rather than how the art will affect others.
“I don’t have a lot of control over
other people’s feelings,” Matt has said.
“So, I rarely think about [how my art
will affect viewers] when creating a
show. Within a half second, if the art
looks interesting [to me], then I know
it’s alright.”
Matt says he makes images that
suggest a story without a beginning

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2012

or end. “Learning to stop before the
painting reveals too much is the most
delicate aspect of my process.”
And it’s a humbling one, too. “It is
a real privilege to make a living doing
this job,” he says. “I have high standards — sometimes I hit them and
sometimes I don’t. I do not consider
being overly precious beneficial for my
work. I am consistent, work hard and
do everything that I know to do to
improve but, I allow things to happen
naturally while painting. I avoid pretentiousness by working quickly and
knowing that my methods and materials are smarter than me.”
Inspired by everyday objects,
Lively’s bold imagination transforms
the familiar with movement, color and
unique personality. With a BA in sculpture from Virginia Commonwealth
University, Lively has worked successfully as a self-employed artist
and entrepreneur since 1993. His bold
approach shows in his work.
A Matt Lively painting offers up a
familiar, but decidedly edgy and playful, view of reality. The paintings portray a specific world, with recognizable

and repeating places and characters.
Animate or inanimate, the characters
do at first seem ordinary and familiar,
even comfortable, until you notice they
are instead unusual, and sometimes
strange. There is a “story” in each
painting, and everything moves. The
result is at once timeless, mysterious,
familiar, edgy and playful. You are not
sure if it is fiction or nonfiction. That
is what makes living with a Matt Lively
painting so much fun.
Chairs, tables, windows, fans,
shoes, a bed, dresses, phones, and ironing board are regular actors. Alongside
these there are sheep, a ubiquitous dog,
unusual birds and some very unusual
bees.
And that brings us to the
Beecycles…
Matt Lively began painting flying
bees on unicycles a few years back, but
he hardly expected to dedicate a whole
show to them.
The bee on a unicycle first appeared
when Matt was in college, as a sculpture, which Matt soon realized wasn’t
the right medium for this character.
Then, the bees started showing up

bee boards
Matt Lively’s
paintings of bees
on unicycles are
done on wood
panels... and
there’s a stroy in
each one, he says.

and filling empty spaces in many of
Matt’s canvases, providing a new kind
of character to his stories. He kept putting them in paintings because of their
ability to instantly charge a painting
with movement. The Beecycles’ onewheeled frantically flapping movement
breathes life into the deliberately slowpaced settings of a painting.

But now, with a small format and
a beautiful wood panel, the Beecycles
are getting every opportunity to shine,
or rather, fly on their own and become
the story. Wooden panels line the walls
and feature bees riding unicycles:
some ride solo, some cycle in groups,
some fly through clouds and others sail
across a wooden sky. In these installations, each panel’s detail is different,
but they all showcase Matt’s playfulness and technical precision.
The Gail Pierson Gallery is in its
fourth season in the heart of Cape
May’s historic district. This fine art
gallery is a fresh take, providing first
quality exhibitions for artists of varying styles from all over the east coast
in a charming downtown setting. Open
all year, the Gail Pierson Gallery welcomes new artists and art lovers from
all over to Cape May. Art education is
a year-round focus.
The Gail Pierson Gallery is located at
658 Washington Street. For more information, call (609)884-2585, or visit gailpiersongallery.com. Fall hours are Thursday
through Monday, noon to 5pm.

Expert restoration of your antique furniture
- whatever condition it may be in.

Antique and vintage furniture meticulously restored by master
craftsmen using the traditional techniques of fine English upholstery.

sittersattheshore.com
Owned and operated by a
NJ certified Elementary Teacher

Antiques Emporia makes memories...

Over 250 blends
of Fine Teas and
everything you need
for your tea party!
tea by the sea

for the young and the young at heart!

405 West Perry Street
Cape May
609 . 898 . 4832
www.teaincapemay.com

antiques emporia

405 West Perry Street, Cape May â&#x20AC;˘ (609) 898-3332
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2012

arts big name stars grace the east Lynne Theater Company stage

Comedy, mystery, and silent film

I

N OCTOBER and November, the award winning
Equity professional East
Lynne Theater Company
offers a farce about advertising, a one-woman Alcott tour de
force, an acting class, and a classic horror film.
Running through October 13 is It
Pays to Advertise, a “farcical fact” in three
acts. It will be performed Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm. Written by Roi Cooper Megrue and Walter
C. Hackett, the show was a Broadway
hit that was twice made into a movie:
a silent in 1919, and in 1931 with Carole Lombard. The premise — and
promise — that anything can be sold
is at its core, but it also examines the

A Broadcast
To Remember
Sherlock Holmes’
Adventure of
the Norwood
Builder with
Lee O’Connor,
Thomas
Raniszewski,
James Rana, Fred
Velde, Gayle
Stahlhuth, and
Rob LeMaire,
is performed in
the style of an
old-time radio
broadcast

very nature and romance of advertising. Decades before AMC’s Mad Men,
this screwball comedy demonstrates
that an ad campaign might be better
than the product. All it takes is one
adventurous young man to announce,
“Advertising is responsible for everything!” and he and his two friends are
off and running in this mad romp.
In the cast are four actors who
have previously been in ELTC productions: Tom Byrn, John Cameron Weber,
Phil Pizzi, and Artistic Director, Gayle
Stahlhuth, who also directs.
Tom plays Ambrose Peale, the marketing maven who convinces Rodney
Martin that “advertising is everything.”
Tom has worked with many theatres
in Pennsylvania, and throughout the

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2012

country, most recently in God of Carnage
at River Valley Rep in Poughkeepsie,
NY. For ELTC, he’s performed in The
Ransom of Red Chief, The Dictator, and
He and She. Also a published writer,
he’s been working Historical Spout-Offs,
based on editorials from Cape May
newspapers from 1870-1930.
John Cameron Weber portrays
Cyrus Martin, a self-made millionaire
in the soap business who wants his
son, Rodney, to strike out on his own
to make his own fortune. John played
Michael Husted in CBS’s As the World
Turns, and has worked in regional theaters including Cortland Rep in New
York and Arrow Rock in Missouri.
Phil Pizzi, whose voice is known
to many who listen to 98.7 The Coast,

plays William Smith, a fellow businessman
friend of Cyris’. He was in ELTC’s The New York
Idea, Why Marry? and Sherlock Holmes’ Adventure
of the Copper Beeches. Phil co-hosted “Music
Plus,” which featured bands and celebrities
appearing in Cape May County, and has performed with Sea Isle Players and The Sandpiper Players.
New to ELTC are Matt Luceno, Kate Shine,
Maria Silverman, Glen Corlin, and Brian Graziani.
Matt plays Cyrus’ son, Rodney. Recently
he performed in a new adaptation of H. G.
Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau in Brooklyn
with Piper Theater Productions. He was in
King Lear, starring Stacey Keach, and made
several appearances on CBS’s The Guiding
Light. Kate portrays Mary Grayson, Martin
senior’s secretary and the young woman with
whom Rodney falls in love. She has performed
in NYC and regionally, and her film/TV credits
include a recent role in 30 Rock.
Enter Comtesse de Beaurien, speaking
fluent French and in a hurry to make a business proposition, played by Maria Silverman
who was in A View from the Bridge on Broadway
and has performed with numerous NYC and
regional companies.
Glen Corlin is Johnson, the always-ready

butler in the Martin household. Glen has performed in Hawaii and Germany in productions ranging from Oklahoma! to Crimes of the
Heart. Brian Graziani plays Ellery Clark, whose
father owns Ivory Soap. Ellery would rather
paint than run a business. Recently, Brian performed at the Weathervane Theatre in Whitefield, NH, and portrayed the White Rabbit in a
national tour of Alice in Wonderland.
Gayle Stahlhuth, whose work has been
praised by reviewers for papers including The
Newark Star-Ledger, The New York Times, The
Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Wall Street Journal,
marks It Pays to Advertise as her 43rd ELTC production that she has directed.
Step back in time on Friday, November 2
and Saturday, November 3 at 8pm with Sherlock Holmes’ Adventure of the Norwood Builder,
performed in the style of a radio broadcast,
complete with live sound effects and commercials. Is a young lawyer really guilty of murder,
or is he being set up?
Lee O’Connor once more portrays Holmes, and Fred Velde returns as Dr Watson. Lee
first portrayed Holmes in ELTC’s William Gillette’s Sherlock Holmes and has become one of
the main storytellers for the company’s “Tales
of the Victorians.” Fred, who was in ELTC’s
recent production of The Poe Mysteries, has per-

formed in more than 50 shows in NYC, including the off-Broadway revival of Mae West’s
Sex.
Portraying several roles are James Rana,
Thomas Raniszewski, Gayle Stahlhuth and
Rob LeMaire, who also operates the sound
effects.
On November 23, 24, December 2, 7, 9, and
14 at 8pm and on Saturday, December 8 at 2pm
and 8pm, ELTC presents Louisa May Alcott’s
Christmas. Three of Alcott’s tales, including the
opening of “Little Women,” are presented in
storytelling fashion by Gayle Stahlhuth, who
portrays 30-plus roles all in the telling of one
tale.
The performances are at The First Presbyterian Church of Cape May, 500 Hughes Street,
where the company is in residence. Tickets for
It Pays to Advertise are $30 for general admission; $25 for seniors (ages 62 and over); and
$15 for full-time students. For Sherlock Holmes
and Louisa May Alcott, top ticket price is $25;
$15 for full-time students. As always for mainstage productions, to encourage whole families to attend, ages 12 and under are free. For
information and reservations, call 884-5898
or go online to eastlynnetheater.org.
ELTC partners with the following restaurants for further savings: Aleathea’s, The

Washington Inn, 410 Bank Street, and Frescos.
If staying at The Henry Sawyer Inn or The Victorian Lace Inn, tickets may be purchased for
only $20.
Performances are at The First Presbyterian
Church, not only with the mainstage season,
but with special events...
With the success of last season’s silent
classic, Phantom of the Opera, with Wayne Zimmerman providing live organ accompaniment, ELTC, with The Cape May Film Festival, is proud to bring more silent goodies. On
Sunday, October 14 at 8pm, it’s the 1922 horror
classic Nosferatu, starring Max Schreck.
Once more providing the music is Wayne
Zimmerman, who first impressed the Cape
May audience when he played for Phantom.
Performing throughout the county, he regularly accompanies silent films at the Loew’s
Jersey Theatre in Jersey City and The Colonial
Theatre in Phoenixville, PA. Tickets are $15.
There is one more “Tales of the Victorians:” Saturday, October 6 at 4pm at The Cliveden Inn, 709 Columbia Ave. Listen to a tantalizing tales read by Equity professional actress
Michele LaRue, while drinking tea and tasting
tea-time treats. Price is still $10, and anyone
age 12 and under is free and welcome!
Tom Byrn’s acting class presented by ELTC

funny ladies Maria Silverman (above left) and Kate Shine (above right), who recently
appeared in 30 Rock, are both making their ELTC debut this Fall with It Pays to Advertise.

last March was so successful that ELTC is
sponsoring another one with Tom on October
8 from 6-9pm. If you’re a seasoned performer,
never performed, or a theater lover who wants
to find out more about how actors work, join
us! Tom works with many Philadelphia-area
theaters, and was a member of the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble for 11 years. The class
is for ages 17 on up and costs $20.

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2012

East Lynne Theater Company’s production season would not be possible without season sponsors
Curran Investment Management and Aleathea’s
Restaurant; Show Sponsors La Mer Beachfront
Inn, The Henry Sawyer Inn, and Exit Zero; The NJ
Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism;
NJ State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a
Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the
Arts; and the generosity of many patrons.

MAJOR SUBJECTS Alex Katz, Alice Neel and Allen Ginsburg all posed for artist Sandra Bloodworth, whose new SOMA show opens October 20

Iconic portraits on show

T

E intriguing new show at
SOMA NewArt Gallery, featuring artists Sandra Bloodworth
and Sam Donovan, opens
October 20, with a reception
that evening from 5pm to 8pm.
Sandra Bloodworth believed from an early
age that she was an artist. “I have drawn and
painted from the time I was able to pick up a
crayon,” she told us. Even though Bloodworth
grew up in a small town in rural Mississippi, her
mother made sure she had access to art classes
and supplies. “She got me this set of permanent
pigment watercolors and an Arches watercolor
block... the message I got was that my mother
believed in me as an artist. I have carried that
with me always.”
Bloodworth went on to earn a BS in art education from Mississippi College, an MA in art
education from the Unviersity of Mississippi,
and an MFA in painting from Florida State University. Now, she wears the hat of a public arts
administrator for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Bloodworth enjoys painting the food of

special meals shared with friends and family,
and several of these works will be featured at
the Noyes Museum this fall. But her signature
paintings are the lifesize portraits she does of
people — famous men and women with whom
she admires or identifies. “My intent is to capture... that intangible thing that makes them
uniquely them,” she says.
Bloodworth’s new show at SOMA, titled
“Urban Principals,” will feature such portraits.
Included among her subjects are iconic poet
Allen Ginsberg, the proprieter of the famous

Bowery Poetry Club in New York City Bob Holman, and Nobel Laureate writer IB Singer.
Most of Bloodworth’s subjects are people
with whom she has developed a relationship.
With artist Elizabeth Murray, Bloodworth had
the privilege of working on a couple of large
public art projects. “I was compelled to capture
what I could of her essence, her personality,
her smile; to bring her back to us, if only for an
instance.” This desire to “bring back” is hugely
motivating for the artist. “Throughout history,”
she says, “humans have had the desire to capture the image of people, the desire to take that
which is mortal and make it immortal.”
When we spoke with Sam Donovan, his
show did not yet have a title. “Other artists
think about that stuff,” he says. “They offer deep
philosophical ideas, and I just kind of paint.”
The father-of-two started out, at the age of 23,
lettering trucks, before moving on to painting
billboards in Atlantic City. “That’s before it was
all computerized,” he told us. Now, owner of
Donovan Design, he paints murals all over the
south Jersey area and Philadelphia and focuses
on his fine art.

A Hero
Honored
â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanted to
paint Elizabeth
Murray because
I had such
phenomenal
admiration for
her work, and
who she is as a
person,â&#x20AC;? says
artist Sandra
Bloodworth

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2012

Now is the perfect time to watch

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october

2012

Look
up!

Pete Dunne explains how
the natural history
spectacle of a lifetime might
be right under your nose

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october

2012

I

remember it like it was
yesterday — the greatest,
single hawk migration day
in Cape May’s history and
one of the greatest days of
my life. It was the 4th of October, 1977.
The place was Cape May Point State
Park. Conditions were perfect for a deluge of migrating birds of prey.
Over 6,000 hawks had been counted
the day before. Persistent northwest
winds promised more birds to come.
Dawn found a trickle of Sharp-shined
Hawks already flowing along the tree
line north of the Hawk Watch. By sunrise
the trickle had grown to a stream and by
8am, a river of raptors was flowing past.
Look one way and you’d miss a dozen
birds passing behind. Turn around, and
miss a dozen more.
Then, with the sun’s rays beckoning, a host of Broad-winged Hawks left
their perches and went aloft. The river
became a flood. In minutes, the sky over
Cape May Point was awash in migrating
birds of prey. Hundreds of birds passing every few minutes. Thousands every
hour. More hawks in view, at a glance,
than many ardent bird watchers see in a
lifetime.
About mid-morning, I chanced to
notice a young woman heading for the
beach. She had all the standard accoutrements of beach going (beach chair,
towel, big thick novel). She walked past
the throng of awe-struck hawk watchers
without a glance.
The great flight continued all day, a
migration for the record books. Finally,
with shadows lengthening and birds
turned to hunting, I gathered up the tools
of the hawk watching trade. Physically
drained but elated, I headed for my car.
En route I found myself keeping pace
with the young beach-goer. She took
note of all the curious stuff I was carrying. Binoculars, spotting scope mounted
on a gunstock, metal counters, clipboard. Curious, she asked “What have
you been doing?”
“Watching hawks,” I replied.
“Oh,” she said. “Did you see any?”
21,800 migrating hawks were tallied
that day. The sunburn index must have
been about a two under the umbrella
of birds. Yet this person had spent the
entire day, a mere two hundred yards
away and had not seen a single bird.
The natural history spectacle of a

brown
beauty
The Northern
Harrier, a slender
bodied, mediumsized raptor,
is on the state
endangered
species list.
It lives in
marshlands
and meadows,
where it hunts
small mammals
(including small
birds!) using its
exceptional, batlike, hearing.
Scott Whittle

lifetime had literally passed her by.
Don’t Be the Victim
I’ll be honest. Every day in Cape May
doesn’t make the record books. But
every day dawns with new possibilities
as thousands of migrating birds, heralding from the arctic and boreal regions of
Canada, getting trapped in the land funnel that is Cape May and concentrated at
its peninsular tip.
Part game of chance, part treasure
hunt, you never know what birds you are
going to find but there are lots of possibilities. Nearly 450 species of birds
have been recorded in Cape May. That

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2012

is more than half the breeding birds in
all of North America. Over 200 species
have been recorded in a single day and
in one day, flights in excess of 3,000,000
(that is not a misplaced comma, I really
mean three million) birds have been
estimated.
In Cape May you don’t even need to
move about to witness the spectacle of
migration. In both spring and fall, more
than 140 bird species have been recorded
by observers standing in a single location. In fact, the national “Big Sit” record
was set at the Hawk Watch Platform in
Cape May Point. A total of 145 species
were seen in 24 hours.

Is Your Co-Worker CRANKY?
Maybe she’s wearing the Wrong Bra!
Let us help you find the Perfect Fit.
BRA specialist
available daily!
Walk right in
or make an
appointment.
hawk haven
As part of the Cape May Autumn Birding Festival (October 26-28),
raptors like the one pictured above will be on display at Convention
Hall. On the right, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a woodpecker, looks for
lunch. Mike Hannisian

You also don’t have to be an
expert to experience the spectacle
of migration. All you need to do
is team up with the local experts
and let them introduce the special
nature of Cape May to you.

Define Special
From songbirds to sea ducks, monarch butterflies to migrating birds
of prey, Cape May hosts more natural spectacles than any comparably sized location on the planet.
You are familiar with the monarch butterfly, of course. The gossamer winged insect whose annual
migration to Mexico is accounted
among the planets most celebrated
migratory feats. Over a million
monarchs pass through Cape May
in years when monarch numbers
are high. A million in a season?
No. A million in the span of a day
or two.
Witnesses liken the mass
movement of butterflies to “standing inside a kaleidoscope.” At
night the branches of roost trees
bow beneath the weight of these
orange-winged voyagers.
But, just like all natural spectacles, it’s hit or miss. Now you see
it; now you don’t. But just like the
beach-goer who missed the hawk
flight, awareness is nine-tenths of
discovery. Awareness starts with
stopping by the Cape May Bird
Observatory and learning what
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2012

natural history opportunities coincide with your visit. Opportunities
like...
You might be familiar with the
Peregrine Falcon, the legendary
falcon whose meteoric stoops are
the substance of legend (and speculation). Cape May hosts one of
the greatest Peregrine migrations
on the planet. Over 250 Peregrines
have been recorded in a single day
and counts of fifty or more birds
per day are common during peak
migration.
When is peak migration? Stop
by the Cape May Bird Observatory’s Northwood Center at 701 East
Lake Drive, Cape May Point, and
find out. You can also pick up a free
bird checklist which notes the seasonal abundance for over 300 regularly occurring species. Speaking
of abundance...
Cape May’s seabird migration
is massive (of course, you need to
know when and where to stand to
view it). When the big sea duck
push is on, counts in excess of
100,000 scoter have been tallied in
a single day. There are three species of scoter seen in these parts.
The skeins of birds writhe like
ribbons of smoke all the way to the
horizon. But through quality binoculars and spotting scopes, you
can gain supernatural intimacy
with the speeding hosts of birds.
What if you don’t have bin-

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Patricia and her husband
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Cape May.
Her family resides at
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Grafton Mountains near
Petersburgh, New York.

The Dog Men, her latest
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confines of small-town happenings.
You can purchase a copy on Amazon.com
and PublishAmerica.com.

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oculars or a spotting scope much
less quality ones? Then I suggest
you stop by CMBO for that as well.
They carry the finest selection of
binoculars, spotting scopes, and
accessories in New Jersey with all
top brands and models. Prices for
binoculars start at around $100.
Include a field guide to the birds,
and you are on the road to a lifetime of discovery.
Bird watching is not just fun
(as millions of people have discovered). It is easy — providing you
are in a place that supports lots
of birds. A place like Cape May.
Sometimes in Cape May, there can
be too many birds. So many birds
that a person can’t decide where
to turn. There is a name for these
massed migratory spectacles. They
are called…
Fallout!
Did you see the recent movie The
Big Year? The story about three
men who try to see the most bird
species in a single year? Do you
recall the scene when the character
played by Jack Black races into his
boss’s office and announces that
he is heading for the coast of Texas
to catch a “fallout.” Well, migratory
bird fallouts really happen and the
place to be in fall is Cape May.
How many birds? Hundreds of
thousands. Sometimes millions.
All descending upon Cape May.You
certainly don’t need an expert to
find a bird on days when a million
and a half American Robins are
migrating through Cape May airspace or days when Tree Swallows
are so common that they reduce
the amount of sunlight reaching
the earth. But you might want a
local expert at your side when you
run into a woodland edge vibrating with a swarm of “confusing fall
warblers.”
American Redstarts that flicker
and dance amid the branches.
Yellow-rumped Warblers that
sally out and snap insects out of
the air. Caramel-colored Wormeating Warblers that skulk in the
understory and Cape May Warblers whose cryptic, fall plumage
deflects the identification skills of
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2012

novice birders.
Here’s a hint. If you want to
find the warbler that was first discovered here in Cape May, find
a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The
warblers tend the sap wells made
by the woodpecker. Of course,
you’ll need to know where to find
a sapsucker (and be able to identify it) and, once again, my best
advice is team up with the local
bird experts. Finding them, at the
very least, is easy.
Welcome to Cape May
The Cape May Bird Observatory
offers daily walks for novice and
experienced birders. Led by local
experts, you’ll see more birds and
find out where the local birding
hotspots are by attending a walk.
You can go on-line (BirdCapeMay.
org) to view the calendar of walks
or, like I’ve said, stop by CMBO’s
Northwood Center in Cape May
Point and pick up a copy of the Kestrel Express, the seasonal schedule
of events.
But one thing you absolutely
must do is be here for the annual
Cape May Autumn Birding Festival. The dates are October 26-28
which is timed to coincide with
the absolute peak of the autumn
migration. It’s a weekend filled
with field trips, indoor programs,
celebrated speakers, and a whole
Cape May Convention Hall filled
with nature-related artisans, crafters, travel, binocular companies,
even live raptor shows.
For 65 years, New Jersey Audubon has been introducing people to
the greatest, natural history show
on earth at the Autumn Weekend.
If you missed the first 65, that is all
the more reason to attend this one
and finally discover a side of Cape
May that you’ve been missing. The
natural side. The spectacular side.
New Jersey’s own Pete Dunne is the
Director of the Cape May Bird Observatory and Chief Communications Officer
for New Jersey Audubon. Author of several books on and about nature (available at CMBO), he has written for virtually every birding publication and for
The New York Times.

HIDDEN CHARM
The Eastern Meadowlark,
although it will not
hesitate to fight over
territory with the Western
Meadolark, is shy around
humans, and will hide in
tall grasses or slink away as
silently as possible

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Theoflaws
the land
ben miller on some of cape mayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
quirkier pieces of legislation
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Y

OU may have heard
Cape May referred
to as the “City of
No” from time to
time. Generally,
I disagreed with
the sentiment. I
always saw it as the city trying to protect itself from troublemakers, attempting to squelch any problems before they
begin. I will admit that the idea of banning smoking on the beach seemed to
be a bit much, considering it’s outside
and more than properly ventilated (I’m
a non-smoker, by the way), but the
council voted against that.
And lord knows, the city leaders
would put a parking meter on the beach
if they could figure out a way, but is
there really more to it? I figured I would
go right to the source and crack open the
old Cape May Municipal Code book. I
wanted to see if that no-no reputation
was deserved. And to tell the truth, I
was a little surprised by what I found.
Let’s start with this beauty...
No person, either male or female, shall
be attired in a bathing suit, trunks or other
than usual dress on any public street or in
any public place, after 7:00pm and prior to
7:00am. With reference to the boardwalk or
promenade, usual dress includes appropriate
footwear.
Hmmmm. I was unaware that
walking barefoot on the promenade or
in a bathing suit and shirt were illegal
between 7pm and 7am. I have broken
that law hundreds of times, waking up
in the morning, putting on my bathing
suit with a shirt, then having my coffee
on the promenade. And what is “appropriate footwear?” I wear my sandals
everywhere. I was MARRIED in them.
The sandals stay, Mayor Mahaney!
Chapter 373 is the Peace and Good
Order section, so I figured there might
be a few more beauties in there and I
was right, such as...
No person shall... Enter upon any public or quasi-public place or private property
without the consent of the owner or person
in lawful control and possession and to there
picnic, change apparel, dress or undress, defecate or commit any other nuisance.
So apparently it’s illegal to interrupt
a picnic in Rotary Park, take off all your
clothes and poop on their blanket. Is
that a big problem in Cape May? It must
be to be specifically named. That same

I was unaware that walking
barefoot on the promenade
or in a bathing suit and
shirt were illegal between
7pm and 7am. I have broken
that law hundreds of times,
waking up in the morning,
putting on my bathing suit
with a shirt, then having my
coffee on the promenade.

painted into
a corner
Cape May is a
magnet for artists
who come to
paint its charming
Victorian
buildings and
captivating beach
scenes, but
according to the
city handbook,
only three
licences can be
given out a year
to artists who
want to capture
Cape May’s
beauty in a public
place. Officer,
arrest that artist
now!
Frank Scott

section prohibits...
Use of any type of vehicle, truck or trailer
for the purpose of changing clothes or sleeping.
Let’s be honest — who hasn’t
changed into a bathing suit discretely
in your car or the back of a van? I dozed
off one day, waiting for my wife in
CVS... scofflaw!
There are A LOT of stipulations in
Chapter 368, Parks and Recreation. It
is prohibited to...
Leave a bicycle lying on the ground or
paving or set against trees, or in any place or
position where a person may trip over or be
injured by it.
And don’t even try to...
Violate the generally accepted rule of
first-come, first-served in the use of individual tables, benches, fireplaces, or other
park facilities.
Nor should you...
Use any portion of the park area or any
of the buildings or structures therein for the
purpose of holding picnics or other activities to the exclusion of other persons, nor
shall any person use such areas and facilities
for an unreasonable time if the facilities are
crowded.
In short, you lean your bike against
a tree, take someone’s seat or ask that
rough-looking woman in a bikini that
clearly doesn’t fit her to walk away
while you’re taking wedding pictures in
the Sunset Pavilion, and you’re going to
the clink. And don’t even THINK about
reading someone’s palm...
The use or the pretension to use or to
have any skill in physiognomy, palmistry,
any type of character reading or like crafty

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science in the telling of destinies or fortunes,
or the pretension to use or to have any skill in
the telling of destinies or fortunes of people,
shall be unlawful.
I must admit, this one really surprised me — Chapter 151 Artists in
Public, Licensing Of...
Artists actually personally engaged in
the preparation of sketches, portraits, caricatures or other drawings in public places
within the City shall pay a mercantile license
fee as set forth in 310-16, subject to the following conditions: A. No more than one such
license shall be issued to any one individual,
partnership, corporation or firm. B. No more
than three such licenses shall be issued in any
one year. C. The location to be used by the
licensee must be approved in advance by the
City Manager, and no such location shall be
changed without the prior written consent
of the City Manager. D. No license shall be
permitted on the mall. E. No more than two
licenses shall be permitted on the boardwalk
or any pier, pavilion or portion thereof.”
Cape May is no longer an art town,
apparently... three licenses a year? I
have seen many gorgeous paintings
of Cape May from Thomas Kinkade,
Victor Grasso, Stan Sperlak and others.
Wonder if they had permits? Is this just
another way to sap people for money?
I would think it’s a good public relations tool to have visitors see sights so
beautiful that people feel compelled to
paint them. Then there’s the paintings
themselves, spreading images of Cape
May all over the world. But what do I
know... I once had my palm read.
One of the city’s greatest features is
the many varieties of trees. Don’t make

RIDING LESSONS Exploring Cape May on two wheels is one of the pleasures of this island, but just be careful you are not flagrantly breaking the law.
Leaning your bike against a tree or on the ground where someone may trip over it? You’re busted!

Romance,
undiluted.
Our overall ambiance,
casual elegance and
attention to detail
will charm both the seasoned
and first-time inn-goer.

the mistake of thinking you can just
plant or remove one on your own private property, Chapter 482, Trees and
Shrubs, prohibits that without approval
from the city, and there’s an entire page
of stipulations. If you do get approval
and plant a tree, but it doesn’t grow
straight, you’re shafted...
No person shall place any guy wire, brace
or other device on any such tree in such a
manner as to injure it.
It’s illegal to use a guide wire or
brace to hold a new tree up straight. I
have one on my weeping willow in my
backyard right now. Good thing I don’t
live in Cape May.
I won’t bore you with all the tree
details, but this one is my favorite...
The City Council may designate, by ordinance, a certain tree or a certain species of
tree as being of special value based on size,
rarity or historical importance.
Historic trees. Really?
Okay, so let’s end this with a good
one and for that, we need look no
further than Chapter 324, Malls and
Plazas. There are six pages of restrictions on what is allowed. Ever wonder
why every restaurant looks the same?

Yikes. Does
anyone
else find
the irony in
the city’s
“no-vinyl”
stipulation?
(I’m thinking
of those
attractive
vinyl railings
that have
appeared
on various
parts of the
promenade.)

Wonder no further...
The permitted area within the Mall must
be enclosed by a black wrought iron or aluminum fence selected from one of four preapproved styles. Any awning supports must
fall within the total permitted area and be
incorporated into the fence design. B. Only
tables and chairs are permitted within the
permitted Mall area. No plants and flowers are permitted. Tables and chairs must be
constructed of metal, wood or resin. No vinyl
tables and/or chairs will be permitted. Tables
and chairs must be black, hunter green, natural wood stain, brushed or shiny aluminum.
No other colors will be permitted.
Yikes. Does anyone else find the
irony in the city’s “no-vinyl” stipulation? (I’m thinking of those attractive
vinyl railings that have appeared on
various parts of the promenade.
It gets better when we look at
Chapter 158, Beaches and Boardwalk,
by far, my favorite. For instance, did
you know it’s illegal to “Operate, drive
or park any type of vehicle except emergency vehicles...” on the promenade? In
37 years, I have never seen anyone try
to get their minivan or pickup truck on
the promenade, let alone park it there.

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And you have to love the thoroughness of this language, which prohibits
“the use of roller devices which are
securely connected to safety shoes,
commonly called roller skates...” These
lawmakers don’t miss a trick! Local
surfers will especially be interested in
the section which makes it illegal to...
Park or stand, carry or transport any surfboard on the promenade or boardwalk, except
to cross the promenade at such places and
during such hours that surfing shall be permitted by the Beach Supervisor of Lifeguards.
DON’T come to the beach early or
stop to talk to anyone one the promenade. You so much as stop to tie your
shoes on the boardwalk and you’re
going down, long hair!
Remember, ignorance of the law
is no excuse, so don’t molest the lifeguard, take a walk on the beach before
6am, or do something crazy like use a
raft or inner tube. And don’t even think
of violating the section which stipulates you can’t “change apparel, dress or
undress, defecate or commit any other
nuisance.”
Amen to that.

THE LAW OF THE BOARDWALK You probably already know that you can’t ride your bike or rollerblade on the boardwalk at certain times. But that’s
not all that’s illegal on one of the city’s most populated areas. That bathing suit you’re wearing? The cops could ticket you for that.

All proceeds benefit the Cape May County Historical and Genealogical Society

115

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the ghosts of

why is this beachfront dreamscape
so full of spirits? thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a simple
answer to that mystery, says
ghost writer craig mcmanus...
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jackson street

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W

You could just
take home
a postcard....
But really, isn’t your mom, your sister, your
boss, or the lady next door who walked your
dog or fed your cat worth more than that?

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hen
it
comes to
the GPB
(that’s the
number
of Ghosts
per Block,
in, um, technical terms) Jackson Street has few competitors
in Cape May—and that is saying
something. Columbia Avenue is a
close second, but as one of Cape
May’s original right-of-ways,
Jackson Street is a paranormal
lover’s paradise.
In the earliest days, when the
Native American Indians came
to summer here, the area from
Jackson Street to Perry Street was
higher ground than much of the
low-lying marshland that made
up the adjoining coastline. While
there were high dunes and bluffs
in the early days, getting to the
shore from the mainland required
navigating the low-lying swampy
areas.
Jackson Street is appropriately
called Jackson Mountain near the
mall because it is a whopping 14
feet above sea level, the highest
spot in town. The Native American Indians would have created
a path to the water on higher
ground. Jackson Street, first surveyed as a road in the 1780s, may
have been such a path.
Eventually, civilization took a
foothold on this section of Cape
Island, as it was eventually called
by the new settlers. Cape May’s
resort community, starting in the
early 1700s as a series of small
taverns and lodging places, began
to spring to life, albeit slowly at
first. The area on and around what
is today called Jackson Street was
the hub of the early resort.
Today, many tens of thousands of visitors a year wander
Jackson Street and stay at the
many B&Bs and hotels along the
way. The street has been enjoyed
by generations of shore-goers for
hundreds of years. All this history, and the street’s proximity
to the ocean, has created quite a
few interesting ghosts. Some are
contemporary spirits and linger
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2012

with unfinished business. Others
are more than 100 years old, still
attached to some physical place
or emotional trauma, long gone.
Jackson Street has been
through several incarnations
since the Native Americans left
town. The earliest hotels and
homes were continuously rebuilt
and enlarged to accommodate the
ever-growing crowd that visited
Cape May in the late 1700s and
early 1800s. In 1869, a fire took
out part of Jackson Street. Next,
the Great Fire of 1878 wiped out
everything else. Jackson Street
was reduced to burning cinders,
along with almost 40 acres of the
rest of downtown.
Cape May was rebuilt and
Jackson saw the rise of many
new hotels and boarding houses.
These new buildings replaced
previous incarnations that had
burned. For the ghosts of Jackson Street it was only a matter
of trading spaces. Ghosts do not
feel physical sensations like fire.
They move away and wait until
it is over to return to their old
homes — even if they are now
someone else’s homes. This is
one of the tricky parts in a ghost
investigation. One needs to know
what was on the spot before the
current building, as well as what
is there now. Ghosts are placecentered for the most part, even
when their surroundings change.
Many ghosts have a physical
attachment. This is no different
from the living. We are attached
to where we live. Ghosts become
attached to a dwelling as well.
THE GHOSTS
Should you be strolling down the
mall, searching for souvenirs to
take home and suddenly feel a
chill move past you — you may
have just crossed Jackson Street.
Several of the stores in this
area also have ghostly tenants. On the corner of Jackson
and Washington, you will see
Fralinger’s, the source for great
salt water taffy and macaroons.
Before Fralinger’s moved here,
about 15 years ago, Barry’s Cloth-

after the fire The Inn at 22 Jackson, now the Red Cottage, occupies the old site of the New Columbia hotel, which was destroyed by fire in 1889
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ing Store occupied the site for almost
40 years. Even earlier in its history, the
grand old building was The Capitol Bar
and Hotel, which catered to the turnof-the-century Cape May crowd. Look
upstairs and you will see the current
residence of one of Cape May’s longtime spirits, Henry.
My friend Harry Bellangy remembered several incarnations of the building, as his grandfather’s barbershop
was right next door.
Many years ago, when I was first
writing this column for Exit Zero, I
started to inquire about hauntings
wherever I shopped or stayed. The
thing about the buildings on the mall is
no one ever thinks to look up. We all see
the storefronts and what’s inside, but
we never think to cock our heads back
and notice there are upper floors. It is
actually these forgotten upper floors,
some now used for storage, others as
apartments, where most of the ghosts
reside.
“Oh we have a ghost!” one of them
exclaimed, “We call him Gunthar,”
one of the ladies in Fralinger’s told me
years ago.
“That’s a new one,” I thought, “a
ghost called Gunthar.” Maybe a Viking
ship got stranded in Cape May a long
time ago. You never know.
The women working in the store
that day had told me that the ghost was
mainly experienced on the second floor
of the old building where they had their
storage rooms. Some felt someone
following them, while others sensed
or heard a presence nearby and raced
back downstairs. They sensed a strong
presence when they ventured upstairs.
The same employee felt it was the third
floor, rather than the second. Ghosts
are transient and they will move freely
around a building. Since other tenants had started sharing the space, the
haunting activity had calmed down. I
was always under the impression that
there were now apartments upstairs
and decided it would be too much of a
hassle to investigate. I took advantage
of a bleak day in February, when most
of the living had left town, to investigate the old Capitol Hotel building’s
upper floors.
The third floor felt empty and I
detected nothing paranormal, so I ventured down to the empty second floor

the old
man on the
SECOND floor
The old Capitol
Bar and Hotel is
now the location
of Fralinger’s Salt
Water Taffy, on
the Washington
Street Mall.
While visiting the
building’s second
floor, Ghost
Writer Craig
McManus came
into touch with a
presence known
as Henry.

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and ran a tape. The second-floor hallway looks like something out of an old
1930s film noir mystery. The hallway,
and the entire building, is on a slant,
creating an odd feeling for anyone
walking down the corridor. Each of the
old hotel room doors is still adorned
with the same number it has had for
over 100 years. I went from room to
room searching for activity. Finally, in
one of the dark rooms filled with old
furniture and appliances, I felt something. I sensed an older man — and a
name — Henry. (Sorry, Gunthar.)
Henry would not communicate
psychically, but did give me a picture
of what he was seeing. Ghosts will
see what they want to see, either the
present or their past. A fixation with
old times can be a major reason for a
ghost being stuck between planes. The
images I saw in my mind looked like
early 1900s bathhouse or beach hotel
imagery with people in old bathing
attire moving up and down the hallway. I also got the feeling that Henry
had been there with his wife, but did
not sense another presence. Henry’s
energy was very peaceful, but stuck

A BUSTLING
SCENE
Cape May was
rebuilt after the
Great Fire of
1878, and Jackson
saw a number of
new hotels and
boarding houses

in my mind but he almost appeared flat
and two-dimensional. He was trapped
in his own world inside the ghost
realm. Ghosts have varying degrees
of energy that allow some to manifest
more strongly than others. In Henry’s
case he was fading. I think all souls
eventually cross over to the Other Side.

in time. He did not react to me, and I
began to wonder if this was a residual
haunting or an energy imprint left over
by a living person.
I concentrated and tried to get
closer to Henry when I realized he was
very much a spirit, but something had
happened to his energy. I could see him

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october

2012

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Maybe Henry was in a slow transition.
Across the way, a small store was
once a candle shop called Flimm
Flamm. During the time they sold
candles, the managers came in several mornings to find candles had been
relit. Fearing there would be a fire, they
started questioning all the employees,
but no one could solve the mystery.
Barbara from the Mid-Atlantic Center
for the Arts and Humanities (MAC)
emailed me to tip me off to the ghostly
combustion and told me that her
grandfather used to live in that same
tiny house. Was her grandfather trying
to add more light to his old, dark house
on Jackson Street?
I went to look in the shop and
sensed a Charlie sitting up on the narrow staircase. He seemed like a shorter
man, and very well could have been
Barbara’s grandfather. The store later
became Wildberries. The activity had
subsided quite a bit. Today the small
row of buildings on Jackson Street
where it crosses Washington Street,
house other shops. I have not heard too
much in the way of paranormal activity
here as of late, but I am always watch-

A MAJESTIC
OLD LADY
The Merry Widow
is comprised of
three old homes
moved together
after the Great
Fire of 1878

ing for signs.
The Merry Widow, a magnificent,
double-turreted guesthouse on the
corner of Carpenter’s Lane and Jackson, is one of my favorite haunts. This
is actually three old houses moved
together after the Great Fire of 1978

to create one large dwelling for a man
named J. Henry Edmunds. During my
early days in Cape May, I was always
drawn to this house, especially the high
turret that overlooks the top of Jackson
Street. I have stayed here several times
since and I would have to say, I love the

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2012

NEW for

2012

Many believe the ghost of a young child haunts the
turret suite on the top floor of the Merry Widow,
but I have on several occasions recorded an older
man’s voice on tape.

A ghostly love affair
There is a curious, centuries-old romantic connection between the
Saltwood, above, and its next-door neighbor, Windward House

energy of this huge, old Victorian
mansion. When I was a child, I
fantasized about spending a night
in a house like this — now I can,
and so can you!
Many believe the ghost of a
young child haunts the turret suite
on the top floor. My experience
has been with J. Henry Edmunds
himself. A mover and a shaker
in Cape May in the late 1800s,
Edmunds controlled many of the
cities utilities, held public office
for many years and was also a bit
of a real estate baron. It’s strong
connections like this that can
tempt a soul to stay behind after
death of the body.
Phantom footsteps can be
heard in the house, and I have
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126

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2012

on several occasions recorded an
older man’s voice on tape, replying to my questions. At least his
hearing is still good after a century. Edmunds seems to roam the
house, but much of the activity is
centered on the top floor. This is
a friendly spirit, who happens to
have a no-nonsense personality
and a love for Cape May. I asked
him, on one occasion, if he could
communicate with the living.
The response, audible on tape,
was “This is not easy.” I think
he is happy that visitors to Cape
May are still enjoying his former
home.
The Virginia Hotel is my
favorite place for evening cocktails when I am in town. It also

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A few years ago, one of the former general
managers was making a rather disparaging remark
about Mrs McConnell’s portrait. That very evening,
the same large oil in its heavy Victorian frame lifted
off the wall and crashed to the ceiling. No one was
near it. Lesson here: ghosts can hear us.
has a ghostly couple watching
over the place. Should you decide
to have dinner in the fabulous
Ebbitt Room, you will notice two
large portraits on the far wall of
the dining room. I believe these
are the McConnells, the couple
who built Ebbitt House (the
original name for the Virginia)
in 1879. Little is known about the
McConnells. What I can tell you
is that I have sensed both a male
and female presence in the hotel.
A few years ago, one of the
former general managers was
making a rather disparaging
remark about Mrs McConnell’s
portrait. That very evening, the
same large oil in its heavy Victorian frame lifted off the wall and
crashed to the ceiling. No one was
near it and no one could figure
out how the wire could have lifted
off the heavy hook in the wall.
Lesson here: ghosts can hear us.
Watch what you say about them.
In The Ghosts of Cape May
Book I, I talk about the ghost of
the Windward House and the
Saltwood House being that of
a Catherine Campbell. Catherine and Charles Campbell built
their home at 26 Jackson Street
in 1906, a short time after they
had married. Charles Campbell
was a local real estate agent and
a lifelong resident of Cape May.
They moved into their new home
where they raised two daughters,
Elizabeth and Catherine.
Somewhere along the line,
Catherine the elder seems to
have died and become a ghost,
however, the Campbells had long
since moved to another house on
Ocean Street. Guests at the Saltwood House B&B, as the Campbell homestead is now known,
have encountered a woman who
they say gives the name Catherine, and then promptly vanishes.
october

2012

Catherine does not seem to be
content roaming her old haunt.
She is also thought to haunt the
Windward House just next door!
There is an old story on Jackson Street hat has been passed
down over the last century,
about Catherine being disloyal
to her new husband. Old timers
have called the Saltwood House,
The Mistress’s House and have
passed down stories that point a
guilty finger at Catherine for having an affair with her neighbor,
banker George Baum. Baum built
the house next door that is today
Windward House.
Has Catherine Campbell
returned to her earlier amorous
abode, or is it the energy of Jackson Street that has pulled her back
and kept her tethered to her old
stomping grounds? Campbell’s
last home on Ocean Street was
demolished in the late 1960s after
she died. Has she returned to her
original home because of this?
The spot on which Windward,
Saltwood, the Red Cottage and
the Puffin sit is a highly charged
piece of real estate. After the
Great Fire of 1878 destroyed the
previous dwellings, a new luxury
hotel was built in 1879 called the
New Columbia. The vast building stretched from Jackson Street
to Perry Street in a showy display
of avant-garde Queen Anne style
architecture with turrets at every
corner. It was not well received by
the neighbors who chose a more
plain and scaled down style of
shore architecture.
The New Columbia was truly
a showplace and thrived at the
foot of Jackson Street with a panoramic view of the sands and surf.
The Seven Sisters Houses at the
foot of Jackson Street were not
yet built so nothing obstructed
the ocean view. Then on Septem-

AN ILL-FATED HOTEL The New Columbia was a magnificent addition to Jackson Street, and Cape May in general, but it did not survive long...

ber 25, 1889, as the summer season
was ending, something strange happened. With two night watchmen in
attendance, the gas lamps on the walls
started to explode. Attempts to control
the fire were abandoned after the entire
brick structure went up into an inferno.
Bricks were shattered by the heat,
exploded, and then hurled by force
around the neighborhood. The tenyear-old hotel was reduced to a pile of
rubble. The land was cleared, and the
owners divided and sold off the property in small lots. The old hotel may
be gone, but its residual energy lingers
on. I have sensed images of a vast hotel
while staying at the Windward House
and the former Inn at 22 Jackson, now
the Red Cottage.
Speaking of the Red Cottage, for
many years people talked about a ghost
named Esmeralda haunting this building. She does not. There never was an
Esmeralda living in this house. The
then owners of the house submitted the
fictionalized story as part of a Halloween issue for the Philadelphia Inquirer in
the 1970s. It has been passed down as
fact for almost 40 years. The real story

With two
night
watchmen in
attendance,
the gas
lamps on the
walls started
to explode.
Attempts to
control the
fire were
abandoned
after the
entire brick
structure
went up into
an inferno.
The old
hotel may
be gone, but
its residual
energy
lingers on.

mer servant, or a guest who died in
Cape May? Peruse a few back issues of
Cape May newspapers from the 1800s
and early 1900s and you will see many
people had drowned or died in town
during the summer tourist season. If
a person dies far away from home, and
decides not to cross over to heaven
right away, they may just remain stuck
near where they passed.
Cape May, with its wonderful
energy and beautiful beaches, is almost
like a little slice of heaven. Maybe that’s
why it’s so haunted. Like their living counterparts, the ghosts just don’t
want to go home — luckily for all you
lovers of the paranormal.
I hope to see some of you during
my two October weekends of ghost
tours and events. You can find out more
about what I do, and where I will be
next, on my website at craigmcmanus.
com.
Happy haunting.
Craig McManus’s Ghosts of Cape
May books are available from the Exit
Zero Store and Gallery, 109 Sunset
Boulevard, Cape May, 609-770-8479,
or online at www.ezstore.us.

— my story — is based on experiences
of some of the guests and me. A young
woman named Anne or Roseanne
seems to haunt the building. Several
guests have seen her over the years; a
feat many ghosts are not capable of
doing. Most ghosts are “felt” not seen.
This young spirit has even played ball
in the hallway with one of the young
(living) guests. She seems to be able to
interact with the living, being mistaken
as another guest or a housekeeper.
Another mystery on a very haunted
street, and I have only scratched the
surface here. There are many more
haunted places on Jackson Street, but I
am out of space! You’ll just have to by
my Ghosts of Cape May books and read
about the rest.
There are so many unsolved hauntings on Jackson Street and throughout
Cape May. Some hauntings can be
solved quickly. Others take time to put
the paranormal pieces together. Cape
May has been a resort community for
hundreds of years. When dwellings
see this amount of transient guests, it
makes identifying the ghost or ghosts
much more difficult. Was Anne a for-

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october

2012

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y favorite day in
Cape May... it is fairly
easy to write because it
has already happened!
Saturday, July 7. I start
the day with a good cup of coffee on my
screened-in porch. It is early, and I can see
the mist rising. Everyone else is still asleep.
I pick up The New Yorker magazine and
spend some time reading about the world.
There is a short story by one of my favorite
authors, Mavis Gallant, that totally captivates me. In the background a rooster is
crowing, and I can hear my neighbor, Jack,
playing with his dogs in the yard — “Friday!!
Come Here, NOW!”
Second cup of coffee... yum.
Then my sister-in-law, Eils Lotozo, who
is visiting us with her family, wakes up
and we have a lovely chat. Soon we bike
into Cape May... it is off to our scheduled
appointments at the Sea Spa in Congress
Hall for massages and luxurious skin treat-

ments (guaranteed to make us both much
younger!). We are completely pampered
and end with the steam bath.
Hmmm, now it is lunchtime and we are
so relaxed, but feeling a bit peckish. We
decide to step outside to the pool bar and
lounge on the comfy sofas while Patrick
Miller brings us two delicious Ginger
Mojitos. We peruse the menu and decide
to order a series of light bites…guacamole, humus, beet and goat cheese salad.
We then let our families know where we
are and are soon joined by several loved
ones — Bela and Eliza Lotozo, Frances
Wilson, Brian Lee, Gamal and Mira Sherif.
The entire atmosphere is so relaxed and
friendly that we hang for a few hours.
Several of our family members must
head off to work — it is summer in Cape
May — but I am so fortunate to have the
best staff at the Flying Fish. I can take the
day off and not worry because Megan and
Manny are there. I am incredibly happy.
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october

SO GLAD TO
LIVE HERE
“Who knew that
when I came
to spend the
summer in Cape
May that I would
build a life here...
I am grateful
every day. This is
a magical place
where I meet
people on a
daily basis who
enhance my life,”
says Sue Lotozo.
Aleksey Moryakov

2012

Now it is time to head home for outdoor showers and naps. After that, it’s dinner time. We decide to call H&H Seafood
and order some lobsters to go. We throw
together a few tasty salads and head to the
Cove around 6pm. What could be more
enjoyable than eating a lobster picnic at
the beach then jumping into the ocean?
My 11-year-old niece Mira washes out the
lobster carcasses in the sea and then
sets them into the sand to see if anyone
notices. It is funny to watch the reactions.
Who knew that in 1976, when I came
to spend the summer in Cape May, that
I would build a life here, rich in community, family and friends. I am grateful every
day. This is a magical place where I meet
people on a daily basis who enhance my
life. People from all over travel to visit
and work here, and we can expand our
horizons by meeting them and engaging in
conversation.
I am really glad that I live here.

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2012

Fall Thrills & Chills At Cape May Stage

A

utumn is special in Cape May:
crisp ocean breezes and leaves
turning as the city sheds its frenetic summer pace to become
the sleepy, Victorian town we love.
Lines are shorter and traffic is bearable; yet,
Cape May Stage still has nose to the grindstone
producing quality theatre for the whole family.
This month, Cape May Stage brings a onewoman tour-de-force to the Robert Shackleton
Playhouse. Actress Barbara Dana stars as Emily
Dickinson in William Luce’s The Belle of Amherst,
which delicately explores the life and work of
one of America’s foremost poets. Full of hope
and promise at age 15, to her death at 56, The
Belle of Amherst connects the themes and passions of Amherst’s famous recluse. In addition
to Dickinson, Dana portrays 15 other characters, from Emily’s father, Edward, to friends and
teachers, eventually solving one of literature’s
mysteries: the identity of Dickinson’s famous
“Master.” Dana, a Dickinson expert, has written
two books about the poet: the novel A Voice of
Her Own: Becoming Emily Dickinson and Wider
than the Sky: Essays and Meditations on the
Healing Power of Emily Dickinson, of which she
is co-editor. Don’t miss this finely-wrought portrayal of one of literature’s most intriguing personalities. The Belle of Amherst runs Thursdays
through Saturdays at 8pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm, from October 17-27 — a must-see
for anyone who loves Dickinson’s poetry.
Following The Belle of Amherst, we’re
pleased to present Poe, Times Two. A doublebill of short, one-man plays adapted from two
of Poe’s classic mystery stories, “The Cask of
Amontillado” and “The Black Cat”, Poe, Times
Two opens just in time for Halloween. In “The
Cask of Amontillado,” Italian nobleman Montresor narrates a chilling tale of revenge involving
his friend Fortunato, against whom he carries a
grudge that’s never fully explained. He leads his

Barbara Dana channels American poet Emily Dickinson in The Belle of Amherst
friend through catacombs under his palazzo, enticing
him to drink and reminding him of the motto on his
family’s crest — Nemo me impune lacessit (No one
insults me with impunity). Montresor and Fortunato
eventually make their way to the celebrated cask of
Amontillado, where Fortunato’s fortune is sealed.
In “The Black Cat”, a condemned man speaks
from his prison cell the night before he is to be
executed for the brutal murder of his wife. Poe’s
masterful study of domestic violence, guilt and one
man’s descent into madness, “The Black Cat” is a
journey that illustrates the ability of the human mind
to observe and comment on its own destruction,
while being powerless to stop it. Poe, Times Two
runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8pm, Saturdays
and Sundays at 3pm, October 31-November 16. Poe,
Times Two is a must-see for Poe enthusiasts and fans
of mystery and horror.
Made possible by PNC Arts Alive, join Cape
May Stage for “Meet Your Seat: Coffee and Con-

Halloween Horrors in
“Poe, Times Two”
October 31 - November 16
Tickets $15-35

versation.” Tour behind-the-scenes of The Belle
of Amherst (on Thursday, October 25 at 1opm)
and Poe, Times Two (on Saturday, November
3 at 5pm), and discuss ideas and issues raised
by each show with the production team. A
pre-show discussion with artistic director Roy
Steinberg allows the audience to learn about
the creation of each production and ask questions. Enjoy complimentary refreshments and
purchase a discounted block of tickets for a special PNC Arts Alive performance of The Belle of
Amherst and Poe, Times Two.
Next season is Cape May Stage’s 25th!
Featuring exciting new works, stellar Broadway
series concerts, and old favorites, it’s shaping up
to be Cape May Stage’s most captivating, ambitious season yet. Subscriptions are now available. For more information, call (609) 884-1341 or
visit www.capemaystage.org.

«Call (609) 884-1341

Meet Your Seat: Coffee
and Conversation
“Belle of Amherst”: October 25
“Poe, Times Two”: November 3

This column is made possible through the generosity of Second Stage Series sponsors
Chris and Dave Clemans as part of their support of the arts in Cape May

running for mayor Rusty Chew says it’s his aim to return the office of mayor to its rightful place — as simply one member of a council of five

R

27 Questions for Rusty Chew

usty Chew retired as a sergeant
from the Cape May Police Department in January, 2011 after 25
years of service. A licensed realtor, he continues to work with
his wife Dagmer Chew at their real estate company, HomeStead, and the Blue Fish Inn. The
couple have two children, Betsy and Mickey. This
November, he will be challenging incumbent Ed
Mahaney for the office of mayor in Cape May.
Did you grow up on the island? I spent my
childhood in the Point, then we lived in Williamsport, PA for a few years, then West Cape May. I
went to school where the Acme is now on Lafayette Street and graduated from LCMR in ’74. As
for the ‘island’ you are referring to, the old Cape
May folks don’t consider WCM or the Point as part
of their island. I moved to The Island in 1979 and
have been here ever since!
When did you join the Cape May Police
Department, and did you have any other job

Interview by JACK WRIGHT
Photograph by Aleksey Moryakov

before that? In 1986 I started with the CMPD. I
had several jobs before that, all centered in the
commercial fishing industry. I worked on the
trawlers and local lobster boats. I also worked in
the fish markets of Lunds, Axelsson and Johnson.
I was most known for my skills with a fillet knife
on the docks. I’ve won every challenge for the fastest flounder cutter — six seconds was my best
time. I joined the CMFD in 1980 and have been an
active volunteer fireman for 32 years. Most of the
time I’m just driving one of the trucks, and let the
kids carry all that heavy equipment around.
What was Cape May like when you first
started working as an officer, compared to now?
When I started, things were a little different. As
a young officer, just a month out of the police
academy, at times I found myself the only one
that showed up for work on the midnight shift.
The department had been cut back to a very low
number of men. There were three assigned to
each shift, and there were no detectives or admin
officers. We depended on the guys from the next
towns to back us up. Back then, we had to do all
the warrant raids ourselves. I was sent for SWAT
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2012

training in 1989 and for a number of years we
were busy here. Things are much different now.
Crime is crime. I don’t want to compare then to
now because so much in our world has changed.
The men and women of our department still come
to work every day and night and face a very real
threat. We not only live in a violent society, but
a litigious society. We have more lawyers today
than doctors. It seems that we are more interested
in getting even than better. Trust me when I say
that they are ready, willing and able to protect all
who live in and visit our city.
Has the role and the style of the police department changed much in that time? The role is the
same but the style has definitely changed — this
is the digital age. Cops are always going to be
human and make mistakes. Today, there is a good
likelihood that you will be reviewed by many for
a decision that you had to make in seconds. But
the same good investigative tools that good street
cops learn will always work.
What are your proudest moments or best
memories of your time in the CMPD? Cape May
is a small town and I won’t recall specific events,

but I will say that I joined so that I could make a
difference in my community and there were many
times when that happened and I am proud to have
been there for the ones that were involved. I am
proud to have been able to work with some of the
best men and women in the field.
Any regrets about your time in the CMPD?
Not really.
Where and how did you meet your wife
Dagmer? We both attended the same church in
the late ’70s. I went to school with Dagmer’s sister
Stina, so I knew her family. We had mutual friends
who are from Sweden and Dagmer is very proud
of her Swedish heritage. I was in love with her on
the first date — she wasn’t that sure about me.
Where did you two go courting? We went to
the movies and to friends’ houses. Dagmer was
in high school, so she had the school night thing
going and then she worked a job on weekends and
in the summer. We started dating in the spring of
1978 and eloped in November of that year. Did I
mention that her father was a 6’4” Swedish carpenter? We didn’t travel with a drinking crowd
back then, or now. Dagmer had her friends that
liked to go dancing, and they went to Wildwood. I
was a fisherman during our dating period and was
on the ocean almost daily.
How did you feel when you retired from the
force? Relieved, or sad, or a little bit of both?

C

Relieved, not at all sad. I had a goal and met it. I
did 25 years as a uniformed patrol officer, working
the rotating shifts. At the end, I was ready to go to
bed EVERY night and not have to set an alarm or
think about going to the station. The body armor
in the summer, the weight of the utility belt with
all the equipment... what’s to regret leaving?
How do you spend your days now? Fishing
almost every morning, leaving around first light,
often taking friends and former coworkers with
their kids to catch whatever is willing to be caught.
Off to North Wildwood for some clams every now
and then at low tide. My son is building a home
and I have been able to help him. I am a licensed
realtor and help Dagmer with rental check-ins
and check-outs every weekend. We own a small
mom and pop motel on Madison, the Blue Fish
Inn. I help there with repairs and chores.
What are your other hobbies? I love to hunt
— archery is my thing. I have several close friends
who enjoy the same passion for the outdoors. We
travel to Canada, Virginia, the Carolinas and Florida in our quests. But fly fishing is my real passion.
There are a few of us who tie our own flies to share
with each other. I’ve fished from northern Canada to Panama — marlin to Atlantic salmon. I’ve
been accused of fishing too much, but that’s rubbish! I also like fast boats. I haven’t found a flats
boat that’s too fast for me. You haven’t lived untill

you’ve traveled 80mph in a 19-foot bass boat!
That reminds me, did I show you the pictures of
me jumping out of a perfectly good airplane from
3500 feet over Easton, Maryland? That’s a rush
that I’ll tell you about some time!
What are your favorite things to do and
favorite places to go in Cape May today? We enjoy
walking the beach in the off-season. I can often
be found holding court in booth 1A at the Ocean
View restaurant. I also enjoy riding my bike on
Beach Avenue and then down to the Point. We put
out our crab pots and enjoy picking crabs on our
dock, watching the boat traffic.
What places do you miss most that are no
longer here? I miss my friend Tom who for years
had Sports and Stuff on Texas Avenue. I would
visit with him often and so enjoyed his friendship.
He was one who did so many good things for the
kids in this community and in the township. Tom
was a kind and generous man who used what he
had to help others. I also miss seeing the Christian
Admiral. We had a tow about two miles from the
beach that we called Hotel Slough. As a fisherman, after the five-fathom light ship, the Christian Admiral was the first landmark to come up on
the horizon as we headed into port. It was a grand
old building with majestic features.
You’ve announced you are running for mayor.
What is your main reason for doing that? I’m

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only 56 years old. I’ve always loved Cape May
and chose to live here and work here. Twenty-five
years ago, Fred Coldren, the former city manager,
asked me in an interview what it was that I hoped
to achieve by being a policemen in Cape May. I
remember telling him that I wanted to make a difference in my community. Dagmer has lived here
her entire life, on the island. My children are fifthgeneration Cape May residents. Dagmer’s grandfather was Sol Needles. I believe that I can bring
the position of mayor back to being one cooperative member of city council, one of five. Together,
all members of council can support the city manager as he tends to the day-to-day operations of
the city. In the past several years, I have grown
concerned, from my own observations, that our
current mayor is over-involved in the day-to-day
functions of the city and a distraction to the current form of government that we have, a strong
city manager.
What are the three major things you would
like to see change in Cape May right now? I don’t
believe in being critical of our current city leaders.
As mentioned before, my intention is bring the
mayor’s position back to one in five on the council,
no more than that.
What do you think of how the Convention
Hall project was conceived and executed in the
end? I don’t make decisions without knowing

the facts. I’m also aware that no matter what is
done, someone is likely to be unhappy. This is a
very nice convention center. Many hours of planing and review went into its construction. We
should be very proud of our city council for all the
hard work and time put into this project. If I had
to find something that I wasn’t really in favor of,
there would be two things. First, I’m not sure that
the electric sign conforms with the HPC code that
clearly applies to this location. Second, the landscaping in front on the street — do I even have to
comment on that? In a town that is so pressed
for parking, and in the most prime parking location, spaces are removed so we can look at Charlie Brown Christmas trees. Every time I went to
a planning board meeting, they wanted to know
how many parking spaces were going to be provided for the project. We have rules that apply
for new and replacement construction, rules that
apply to everyone. What kind of example is this
when we say do as I say not as I do?
What would you have done differently with
Convention Hall, if you had been the mayor of
this city? I would have done my part as a council member to make sure everything was done
without a notion of deceit. I shouldn’t expose
any hunches that I have but I’ll be real surprised if
the bill on the hall remains around the $10.5 million that was approved by the vote. This is with-

out mention of monies that were diverted to the
project from water and sewer bonds that should
have been used in other areas of the city. Yes, the
money was used as alloted for water and sewer
projects, but shouldn’t the water and sewer lines
have been part of the overall projected price of the
construction? The grant for the solar panels on the
roof was not filed in time and we lost out on that
funding. Where did the money come from to pay
for the solar panels since they were supposed to be
paid for by grant money?
Should Cape May have as many parking
meters as it does? Yes. Remember my background
is in law enforcement. Believe me when I say that
without the meters set up the way they are in this
town, parking would be a mess. Consider this:
someone comes to the shore for the season and
wants to go to the beach as frequently as possible.
They arrive early in the season and quickly find a
location on the beachfront to park their car with all
the beach chairs. They leave the car there for the
summer, visiting it only to retrieve a chair. There’s
no question that the parking would be soon taken
and no room left for the daily visitor. All of the
parking near the center of town could be taken by
cars parked for the season. This situation occurs
on some of the side streets in front of homes.
Meters resolve this situation and many others and
provide the city with a windfall of revenue.

Is there a better parking system that could be
used to make life easier for tourists and locals? I
haven’t seen one yet.
Do you think Cape May needs a parking
garage? I don’t think that a garage would be able to
sustain its self. Remember, one of the biggest cost
is labor. How many cars would you have to park to
pay the bill? I don’t think it would be good money
spent at this time.
What more could be done to integrate the
fishing industry and the harbor in general into the
everyday life of the town? Sometimes the harbor
is as crowded as the mall on a hot summer afternoon. Keeping it clean is the way to make it look
attractive. We should, however, look into stopping
the erosion taking place on Delaware Avenue. The
harbor has already claimed part of the roadway
there. It’s a county road, and we should be able to
obtain some assistance from county road funds.
Do you think the same could be done for the
US Coastguard base? It is the only training center
in the US, and yet you can walk around Cape May
every day and not realize it is a “coastguard town”
in the way that Annapolis is a navy town. The
Coast Guard is in the process of obtaining funds
to build a memorial to all of the men and women
lost in action over the history of the USCG. There
may be a way for the city to partner with the Coast
Guard and provide a location in the city suitable

for the monument and promote its honor with our
advertisements and events. There probably aren’t
many in this town who haven’t been impacted
by the Coast Guard. It is a privilege to have them
here.
How do you see the real estate market in Cape
May over the next few years? It seems to be on
the increase at this time. Election years carry lots
of uncertainty. Lenders are waiting as are sellers
and buyers to see what happens in the race for
president. His policies will have a direct impact
on investors and home buyers. The number of
people out of work also plays into it. When people
are sure of their future, they spend. Uncertainty
leads to a tightening of the belts so the big ticket
items like homes are put on the back burner and
rentals increase.
Where do you buy your coffee in Cape May,
and how do you take it? If I’m not at the Ocean
View, the Lobster House coffee shop it is. Black
with sugar makes me happy!
Should more be done to accommodate cyclists
in Cape May, such as extending bike lanes? I think
common sense should kick in somewhere. Lafayette Street is a major artery into town. If you are on
a bike, do you really think that Lafayette is a good
route to take — really? Common sense should rule
and certain narrow roadways without shoulders
should be used for vehicular traffic. I know that

the bikes have the right to be there, but 5,000lbs
vs 200lbs? Yep, the car wins. Never really made
sense to me when someone had to prove their
point and ended up in the back of the CMFD rescue rig. Yep, they sure were right, broken and run
over but proved their point! Is the risk really worth
the gain? Sorry bikers. I ride frequently and try to
use as much common sense as I can and stay away
from the heavy traffic streets.
What would your idea of a perfect day in
Cape May be, from breakfast to dinner and
everything in between? Up at 5am and to the coffee pot. After several cups, a fast dart across the
harbor to a favorite fishing spot. Back by 7 and
fish cleaned by 7:15. Off for breakfast at one of
my favorite watering holes. After holding court,
check on the motel and the real estate office to
see what needs to be done. Stop at the Acme and
pick up something to go with the fish for dinner.
Home for a nap till 2, then start dinner. You might
think I’m crazy but the one thing that I think I
might have trouble with being mayor is that the
meetings don’t start till 7pm. I have been getting
used to going to bed at 8 or 9 so I might need a
longer nap in the afternoon. Then dinner with
Dagmer, Betsy, Mickey and their families. A quiet
evening on the deck with a glass of my favorite
merlot (Yellow Tail), the family and Tucker, our
small poodle.

The Cape May Crossword
So YOU love crosswords and you love Cape
May? Great. Sit down, get a cup (or glass) of
your favorite beverage, relax and enjoy this
puzzle. The answers to this crossword are
all related to the content in this magazine.
The solution can be found on our website,
exitzero.us. Compiled by Kate Chadwick.
Across
4 . Translated as “People of the Longhouse,”
this native American tribe was originally
known as Five Nations.
7. The likeness of this iconic Shawnee
leader and folk hero was featured on a Great
Americans series US postage stamp, released
on September 14, 1989.
9. An American Indian tribe that was most
prevalent in the Plains states, they once
anchored the ‘Four Corners’ of Utah, Arizona,
New Mexico and Colorado.
11. This Cape May bar serves three different
brands of non-alcoholic beer.
12. General George Custer was killed, along
with all of his men, during the Battle of
Little.... what? (2 words)
13. This is the name of the Lakota Indian who
killed Custer (and a band Neil Young used to
jam with...). (2 words)
15. The ghost of J. Henry Edmunds allegedly
haunts this old house on Jackson Street.
(3 words)
16. According to her Perfect Day feature, this

is the name of Sue Lotozo’s favorite short
story writer.
18. The Indians who killed Custer were from
two tribes: the Lakota Sioux and this one.
20. This Indian tribe long inhabited the midAtlantic region, and there is a large lake in
Mays Landing that bears the name.
21. There is a street in Erma that has the
name of this Shawnee leader and folk hero
who opposed the Americans in the War of
1812.
22. This is a popular non-alcoholic brew
made by the manufacturers of Guinness.
DOWN

His image is on a US postage stamp... 7 across

6. This Cape May bar and restaurant still
carries Buckler N/A beer for a now-deceased
regular customer.
8. The Linen Ladies automobile is painted to
look like this insect.
9 . This relic of an American Indian weapons
is often found in our area and is popular with
collectors.
10. Pat Wenzel’s perfect day ends with a glass
of wine at this popular harborfront spot.
13. This real estate agency is located on the
Washington Street Mall, right next door to
the Toy Shop.

1. The Lakota name for a cone-shaped
shelter, this word is often misspelled.

14. The Windward House is supposedly
haunted by a woman called Catherine, who
comes over from this house next door.

2 . A monument to Crazy Horse is located in
the Black Hills of this state, where Custer was
killed.

16. Native Americans introduced us to corn,
the most ubiquitous US crop of the day, but
they called it this.

3. Before he was a police officer, Rusty Chew
worked in local fish markets, where he was
known for his skill with this object. (2 words)

17. This is the name of Rusty Chew’s pet
poodle.

5. Cape May Stage presents Poe, Times Two,
just in time for this annual occasion.
exit zero

144

october

2012

19. While some American Indian tribes
settled in a specific region, others moved
from place to place and were called this.

T he e bbiTT R oom
The only way youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find anything more farm fresh is if you grow it yourself.
To celebrate the seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s harvest chef Lucas Manteca has prepared an exciting menu featuring
ingredients from Beach Plum Farm, like peppers, winter squash, corn, pumpkin and caulif lower
prepared in some exciting and unexpected ways.